Pope Francis has become the first leader of the Roman Catholic Church to support “civil union” laws for same-sex couples.Speaking in a film documentary, the pope called for the creation of such laws.He said that “Homosexual people have the right to be in a family. They are children of God.”“What we have to create is a civil union law. That way they are legally covered,” Francis said. “I stood up for that.”The statements represent a break from the Church’s teachings and his strongest comments yet on the issue.The comments came in “Francesco,” a documentary about his life and the social issues that concern him.The film was shown for the first time in Rome on Wednesday.The movie examines his support for migrants and refugees, the poor, and his work on the issue of sexual abuse by Catholic clergy.It also explores his ideas on the role of women in society, and the Church’s relations with those who identify as LGBTQ.While serving as Archbishop of Buenos Aires in 2010, the future pope opposed efforts to legalize same-sex marriage.
