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Pope Francis Blesses Same Sex Unions, Still No to Marriage

In a new documentary that premiered at the Rome Film Festival Wednesday, the pope says he believes same sex couples should be recognized by law, but not yet by the church.

Pope Francis has given his blessing on same sex civil union laws, though not yet on gay marriage recognized by the Catholic Church. The pontiff, who has waffled on the issue since his election in 2013, made the comment in a new documentary called “Francesco” that premiered Wednesday at the Rome Film Festival. “What we have to create is a civil union law,” he said, to ensure that same sex couples are “legally covered.” The Catholic Church does not approve of same sex marriage, sticking instead to traditional doctrine that states marriage and sex can only be blessed for the purpose of procreation. But the new line on civil union laws is the farthest the pontiff—who once appeared on the cover of The Advocate magazine after answering, “Who am I to judge,” when asked about a devout gay priest—has gone on the issue. The comment is sure to anger his conservative enemies in the church who have long criticized the Argentine’s liberal stance. “They’re children of God and have a right to a family,” the pope said when asked about LGBT Catholics. “Nobody should be thrown out, or be made miserable because of it.”