Pope Francis Voices Support for Same-Sex Unions

Pope Francis has expressed support for homosexuals, saying they are children of God and have a right to be in a family.

In a documentary released on Wednesday, the pontiff who is the global leader of the Roman Catholic Church, stated that homosexuals should be protected by civil union laws.

"Homosexual people have a right to be in a family. They are children of God and have a right to a family. Nobody should be thrown out or made miserable over it, " he says in a documentary  by Oscar-nominated director, Evgeny Afineevsky.

“What we have to create is a civil union law. That way they are legally covered. I stood up for that.” 

He was being interviewed for the documentary “Francesco,” which premiered at the Rome Film Festival on Wednesday.

His latest comments have been described as the clearest language he has used on the rights of gay people since his election in 2013.

The Catholic Church teaches that homosexual tendencies are not sinful but that homosexual acts are.