Pope Francis says homosexuals should be covered by civil union laws

Pope Francis. Credit: Reuters

Pope Francis says in a new film released on Wednesday that homosexuals should be protected by civil union laws, in some of the clearest language he has used on the rights of gays.

"Homosexual people have a right to be in a family. They are children of God and have a right to a family. Nobody should be thrown out or be made miserable over it," he says in the documentary Francesco.

"What we have to create is a civil union law. That way they are legally covered. I stood up for that," he said.