Pope Francis Goes Against Traditional Catholic Beliefs, Supports LGBTQ Community

Pope Francis called for the creation of civil union laws for same-sex couples in a documentary released Wednesday, straying from the Vatican's traditional position on the topic.

The Pope expressed his clearest support for same-sex civil unions in the documentary “Francesco” that premiered in Rome, the Catholic News Agency reported.

Within the film, Pope Francis supported the LGBTQ community and said “homosexuals have a right to be a part of the family.”

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

“What we have to create is a civil union law. That way they are legally covered,” Pope Francis added.

“Francesco” is a documentary that covers the life of the pope and premiered as part of the Rome Film Festival.

The documentary highlights how Pope Francis approaches social issues, such as advocating for migrants, refugees, and the poor. The documentary also touches upon how the pope addressed sexual abuse within the Catholic community, the role of women and how Catholics treat the LGBTQ community.

Pope Francis’s direct request for civil unions goes farther than previous requests and is a shift from the Vatican's viewpoints on the topic.

According to the Human Rights Campaign, the Catholic church "has welcomed celibate gay and lesbian people into its church life but increasingly is becoming more intolerant even of this population."

The HRC added that "The Catechism of the Catholic Church, a text which contains dogmas and teachings of the Church, names “homosexual acts” as “intrinsically immoral and contrary to the natural law,” and names “homosexual tendencies” as “objectively disordered.”

While the Catholic Church does not consider “homosexual orientation” sinful in and of itself, it does have a very negative attitude toward it.

“Francesco” filmmaker Evgeny Afineevsky told the CNA that the film is not “about” Pope Francis’s call for civil unions but is instead “about many other global issues.”