Pope Francis Comes Out… with Support for Same-Sex Civil Unions

First public statement on the issue as Pope consistent with previous support for same-sex civil unions

Pope Francis seems to be taking another step towards affirming the dignity of LGBTQ people as he did a month ago when he allegedly told a group of parents of LGBTQ children that gay people were gifts from God just as they are.

“Homosexuals have a right to be a part of the family,” the pope said. “They’re children of God and have a right to a family. Nobody should be thrown out or be made miserable because of it.” — Pope Francis, as reported by CNN.com and America Magazine.

In another break with his Roman Catholic predecessors and official Church teaching, Pope Francis has voiced support for civil unions for same-sex couples, Jason Horowitz reported today for The New York Times. Horowitz writes, “Church teaching considers homosexual acts ‘intrinsically disordered’ and the church is opposed to gay marriage.” However, in the documentary “Francesco,” released in Rome on 21 October in Rome, Pope Francis told film director Evgeny Afineevsky, “What we have to…