Rome: During the screening of the film “Francesco” at the Rome Film Festival, Pope Francis endorsed civil-union for gay couples in outright contradiction with the Catholic Church’s long-standing opposition of homosexual unions.

According to sources, the pontiff’s approval came midway through the film that addresses issues that he considers are extremely vital like poverty, migration, environment, racial and income inequality, and the people most affected by discrimination.

The Pope, who has been extremely vocal about the inclusion of same-sex couples in the church said in an interview, “Homosexual people have the right to be in a family. They are children of God.”

“You can’t kick someone out of a family, nor make their life miserable for this. What we have to have is a civil union law; that way they are legally covered,” he added.

As the archbishop of Buenos Aires, Francis had suggested civil unions as an alternative to same-sex marriages, but this is the first time that he has been public about his stand on the subject as head of the Catholic Church.

One of the primary characters in “Francesco” is Juan Carlos Cruz, a Chilean who is a survivor of clergy sexual abuse. Previously, Pope Francis had discredited him during his papal visit to Chile in 2018.

The film is centred around the Pope’s evolution on the subject of sexual abuse and homosexuality. “The film tells the story of the Pope by reversing the cameras,” award-winning director Evgeny Afineevsky said in an interview.

While the positive step towards the inclusion of same-sex couples has garnered a lot of praise, it has also drawn some criticism from conservative groups within the community.

Bishop of Providence, Rhode Island, Thomas Tobin has demanded an immediate clarification stating that this sends a strong message about issues the Church has vehemently opposed over the years. Referring to same-sex couples, he said in a statement, “The Church cannot support the acceptance of objectively immoral relationships.”

According to a 2003 Vatican document, the church holds the view that respect for the gay community “cannot lead in any way to approval of homosexual behaviour or to legal recognition of homosexual unions”.