Pope Francis Endorses Same-Sex Civil Unions

On Oct. 21, 2020, at the Rome Film Festival, a premiere of a documentary about Pope Francis, titled Francesco, included a moment during which the pope endorses civil unions for same-sex relationships. He says, “Homosexuals have a right to be a part of a family. They’re children of God… Nobody should be thrown out, or be made miserable because of it… What we have to have is a civil union law; that way they are legally covered.”

Although this quote displays Pope Francis’ support of same-sex civil unions, an explanatory note from the Vatican Secretary of State, the highest-ranking Vatican official under the pope, announced that Francis’ stance will not be backed by a change in official doctrine. A document issued in 2003 by the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith declares that “respect for homosexual persons cannot lead in any way to approval of homosexual behavior or to legal recognition of homosexual unions” because it would “obscure basic values which belong to the common inheritance of humanity” and encourage “deviant behaviour.”

The Vatican’s note also stated that the pope’s quote was from a prior interview in response to a question about his opposition to same-sex marriage in Argentina, where he campaigned as Archbishop of Buenos Aires to legalize civil unions as an alternative. Despite this, on July 22, 2010, Argentina became the first Latin American country to allow same-sex marriage. Pope Francis has since explained his stance, saying, “marriage is between a man and a woman.” He supports civil unions because they provide state-level legal protections for gay couples, without the federal recognition or societal meaning of traditional marriages.

Although Pope Francis’ quote supporting same-sex civil unions is vague and does not indicate a change in church doctrine, it could still have a positive impact. In the US, where 67% of people support gay marriage, homophobic Catholics may have to rethink their logic because, according to this public statement by the pope, they are violating queer people’s rights when they kick family members out, discriminate against, or fire people for being gay.

As the first pope to ever endorse same-sex civil unions, Pope Francis’ remarks could drive change throughout the Catholic Church, as well as in the 166 countries where gay marriage is illegal and the 72 where homosexuality is criminalized. Even though he is not updating actual doctrine, Francis might be able to change people’s atitudes towards queer people. As Alphonso Davis, president of the Human Rights Campaign, tweeted, “This is a significant step forward for inclusion and acceptance in the Catholic Church, letting LGBTQ Catholics know that being a person of faith and being LGBTQ are not mutually exclusive.”

Francesco, directed by Evgeny Afineevsky, mostly covers other topics important to Pope Francis, including immigration and climate change. Find the film’s website here: https://www.francescofilm.com/