ROME — In a documentary released in Rome on Wednesday, Roman Catholic leader Jorge Bergoglio, also known as “Pope Francis,” says that he believes homosexuals have a “right to a family” and that he supports civil unions as a legal covering.

“Homosexual people have a right to be in a family. They are children of God and have a right to a family,” he states in the movie “Francesco” by Evgeny Afineevsky, which premiered at the Rome Film Festival. “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,” the Vatican head continues. “I stood up for that.”

According to the Catholic News Agency and Reuters, the documentary also tells the story of Bergoglio encouraging a man in a homosexual relationship to raise his three adopted children in a parish church. Andrea Rubera had given Bergoglio a letter after attending mass and received a phone call days later telling him that the correspondence was “beautiful.”

“He didn’t mention what was his opinion on my family. Probably he’s following the doctrine on this point, but the attitude towards people has massively changed,” Rubera states in the production.

“His message and his advice was really useful, because we did exactly what he told us. It’s the third year that [the children] are on a spiritual path in the parish,” he says.

According to reports, the documentary is not the first time that Bergoglio has expressed support for civil unions, although it is his first as “pope.” Formerly the archbishop of Buenos Aires, Bergoglio is said to have told others behind closed doors then that he is okay with the concept.

“He told me, … ‘I’m in favor of gay rights, and in any case, I also favor civil unions for homosexuals, but I believe that Argentina is not yet ready for a gay marriage law,'” Catholic homosexual rights activist Marcelo Marquez claims Bergoglio told him in a meeting in 2010.

As previously reported, in 2013, Bergoglio generated controversy after he said during a news conference that it is not his job to judge homosexual priests.

“If someone is gay and he searches for the Lord and has good will, who am I to judge?” he stated. “The Catechism of the Catholic Church explains this very well. It says they should not be marginalized because of this, but that they must be integrated into society.”

“The problem is not having this orientation. We must be brothers,” Bergoglio continued. “The problem is lobbying by this orientation, or lobbies of greedy people, political lobbies, Masonic lobbies, so many lobbies. This is the worse problem.”

The Catechism of the Catholic Church says in paragraph 2358, “The number of men and women who have deep-seated homosexual tendencies is not negligible. This inclination, which is objectively disordered, constitutes for most of them a trial. They must be accepted with respect, compassion, and sensitivity. Every sign of unjust discrimination in their regard should be avoided.”

“These persons are called to fulfill God’s will in their lives and, if they are Christians, to unite to the sacrifice of the Lord’s Cross the difficulties they may encounter from their condition.”

It also states that “[h]omosexual persons are called to chastity” and “[s]exuality is ordered to the conjugal love of man and woman.”

Become a Christian News Network Supporter...

Dear Reader, has ChristianNews.net been of benefit and a blessing to you? For many years now, the Lord has seen fit to use this small news outlet as a strong influential resource in keeping Christians informed on current events from a Biblical worldview. With much compromise and many falsehoods in modern-day Christianity, we strive to bring you the news by keeping Christ and His word in focus. If you have benefited from our news coverage, please prayerfully consider becoming a Christian News supporter by clicking here to make a one-time or monthly donation to help keep the truth of God's word widely and freely published and distributed. May Christ continue to be exalted through this work!