Pope Francis expresses support for the creation of civil union laws for same-sex couples as part of a new documentary about his seven-year papacy, which is premiering in Rome Oct. 21. But his comments on the matter appear an affirmation of previously articulated views. 

In the documentary, titled "Francesco," Francis says that gay people are "children of God" and "have a right to be part of the family." The pope then suggests that civil union laws may provide a way for countries to protect the legal rights of persons in same-sex relationships.  

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There was a quaint time before the coronavirus pandemic when Pope Francis would travel around the world. People would gather in large groups, sometimes in the millions even, just for the chance to see him. 

The pontiff would highlight pressing international issues and help cement peace accords (see, for example, the 2015 visit to Cuba and the U.S., the 2017 visit to Colombia or the 2019 visit to North Macedonia). But he would also meet with people at the margins, and, sometimes, change their lives in uncountable ways.  

A new documentary with the simple title "Francesco" has at its center those people. Although it also tells much of the wider story of the papacy of the former Argentinian Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio, it focuses most on how the pope from Buenos Aires has affected those he has met in places around the world.  

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