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Pope Francis (archive image)
Photo: Evandro Inetti / dpa
Pope Francis has spoken out in a documentary in favor of protecting same-sex partnerships.
"We have to draft a law for illegitimate partnerships. In this way they are legally protected. This is what I stood for," said the Pope in the documentary "Francesco", which was shown for the first time on Wednesday at the Rome Film Festival.
"Homosexuals have the right to be in a family. They are children of God and have the right to a family," said the Pope in the film.
Nobody should be excluded or made unhappy because of this.
Turning away from the ecclesiastical view
His words represent a departure from the ecclesiastical conception. In 2003 the then cardinal and later Pope Ratzinger co-authored a document for the faith congression.
It says: "According to the teaching of the Church, respect for homosexual persons can in no way lead to the approval of homosexual behavior or to the legal recognition of homosexual unions."
As Archbishop of Buenos Aires, Francis had already spoken out in favor of same-sex registered civil partnerships - albeit in order to prevent a law opening up marriage.
As Pope, however, he is expressing himself in this way for the first time.
Francis has already expressed appreciation for homosexuals on several occasions.
God and the Church loved them "for who they are," he once said.
Homosexuality is "not a sin," he said another time.
However, he held back on concrete policy areas.
The Vatican spokesman told the New York Times that he would not comment until he saw the film.
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jpz / Reuters / AP