Pope Francis has endorsed same-sex civil unions, saying in a documentary that homosexual people are 'children of God' and that they 'have the right to be in a family'. 

His approval came midway through a feature-length film, titled Francesco, which had its premiere at the Rome Film Festival earlier this week. The film delves into issues Pope Francis cares about most, including the environment, poverty, migration, racial and income inequality, and the people most affected by discrimination.

In addition to the Pope's comments on civil unions, the film shows him encouraging two gay men to attend church with their three children. Pope Francis's biographer, Austen Ivereigh, told the BBC he was "not surprised" by the latest comments.
 
"This was his position as Archbishop of Buenos Aires," said Mr Ivereigh. "He was always opposed to marriage being for same-sex couples. But he believed the church should advocate for a civil union law for gay couples to give them legal protection." Under current Catholic doctrine, gay relationships are referred to as "deviant behavior".

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