Pope Francis appeared to support same-sex civil unions in a documentary that premiered in Rome on October 21, 2020. This is the first time in history that any pope has advocated for the passage of civil union laws for homosexual couples.

“What we have to have is a civil union law—that way they are legally covered,” Francis said. “I supported that.”

While some members of the church have said that this revelation could move towards a greater acceptance of same-sex couples, other church leaders have criticized Francis’ ideas, saying that they have caused “confusion and error.”

On the other hand, some believe the pope was mistranslated. Even if that is so, the pope has expressed his thoughts on homesexual people previously, in which he believes they should not be mistreated.

However, the pope should not be mistaken. While he supports the civil union of same-sex couples, he does not believes that these couples should be allowed to marry.

In previous years, Francis has noted that marriage is between man and woman only. He stated that accepting family members that are homosexual does not mean commending homosexual acts.

The pope clearly voiced in the documentary his support for legal protections of these civil unions. Even before Francis was pope, he suggested same-sex unions as a substitute for gay marriage.

“Homosexuals have a right to be a part of the family. They’re children of God and have a right to a family,” Francis said. “Nobody should be thrown out, or be made miserable because of it.”