Pope Francis declared support for civil unions of same-sex couples

According to the Catholic News Agency, the Pope made the historic remarks in "Francesco," a new documentary film directed by Russian filmmaker Evgeny Afineevsky, that premiered at the Rome Film Festival on Wednesday.

"Homosexual people have a right to be in a family. They're children of God and have a right to a family. Nobody should be thrown out or be made miserable over it," the Pope said in the film, the Catholic News Agency reported.

"What we have to create is a civil union law. That way they are legally covered," the Pope said.

The film also explores the Pope's work and views in other issues, including climate change, migration and economic equality, according to the film's website. It is set to premiere in North America on Sunday during the SCAD Savannah Film Festival.

Francis has suggested in past interviews that he is not against civil unions, but this is the first time as Pope that he has directly come out in favor of them. As Archbishop of Buenos Aires, Francis advocated for same-sex civil unions as an alternative when Argentina was discussing whether to legalize same-sex marriage. (Agencies)

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