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# Pope Francis supports same-sex civil unions
- URL: https://www.scenemag.co.uk/pope-francis-supports-same-sex-civil-unions/
- Published: 2020-10-22T16:30:54.000Z
- Updated: 2020-10-22T14:11:13.000Z
- Description: Pope Francis has openly backed same-sex civil unions for the first time after interview in a documentary film, Francesco, premiered at the Rome film festival on Wednesday 21 October.
- Author: Rachel Badham
- Tags: News, Catholic church, LGBTQ, Pope Francis

**Pope Francis** has openly backed same-sex civil unions for the first time after interview in a documentary film, *Francesco*, premiered at the **Rome** film festival on Wednesday 21 October. The feature-length film, directed by **Evgeny Afineevsky**, tells the story of Francis’s papacy over the past seven and a half years and explores issues the Pope has prioritised such as environmental sustainability and migration.

![](https://www.scenemag.co.uk/content/images/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/pope-francis.jpg)

In the interview, Francis said: *“Homosexual people have a right to be in a family. They are children of God and have a right to a family. Nobody should be thrown out or be made miserable over it. What we have to create is a civil union law. That way they are legally covered. I stood up for that.”* According to **[America Magazine](https://www.americamagazine.org/faith/2020/10/21/pope-francis-gay-civil-union-documentary?ref=scenemag.co.uk)**, this is the first time the Pope has explicitly said LGBTQ+ couples should be entitled to legal recognition for their relationships.

Throughout his papacy, Francis has urged for the Catholic church to be more welcoming of the LGBTQ+ community. **Father James Martin**, a prominent Jesuit,[ tweeted](https://twitter.com/JamesMartinSJ/status/1318919185288863750?ref=scenemag.co.uk) in response to Francis: *“Pope Francis’s support for same-sex civil unions is a major step forward in the church’s support of LGBTQ+ people. It is in keeping with his pastoral approach to LGBTQ+ people, including LGBTQ+ Catholics, and sends a strong signal to countries where the church has opposed such laws.”*

![](https://www.scenemag.co.uk/content/images/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/pope-francis-1-1-1.jpg)

Pope Francis and Father James Martin