Pope Francis States his Supports Same Sex Civil Union

Pope Francis announced his supports for same-sex civil union, a controversial topic in Catholic dogma. According to the Pope, homosexuals have “a right to be a part of the family.” and they should be “legally covered” by civil union law. 

Progressive or Blasphemy?

Although the pope’s statement was greeted by the LGBTQ rights, it provoked questions on the comments’ actual weight.

When in 2013 the press asked Pope Francis about reports regarding homosexuality within the clergy itself.  The Pope answered that "If someone is gay and he searches for the Lord and has goodwill, who am I to judge?"

The Vatican doctrine from 2003 states that "respect for homosexual individuals cannot lead in any way to approval of homosexual behavior or to legal recognition of homosexual unions" and if they are placed under the same level as marriage would be considered a "deviant behavior" approval.

According to the organization representing LGBTQ Catholics DignityUSA, if the above-mentioned is kept, “this could be a global game-changer for gay and lesbian people, for same-sex couples.”

Regarding the matter, the president of the Human Rights Campaign Alphonso David tweeted that "This is a significant step forward for inclusion and acceptance in the Catholic Church, letting LGBTQ Catholics know that being a person of faith and being LGBTQ are not mutually exclusive."