Pope Francis waves to faithful at the end of the weekly general audience in the Paul VI hall at the Vatican, Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2020. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)
By Nicole Winfield
Pope Francis endorsed same-sex civil unions for the first time as pope while being interviewed for the feature-length documentary “Francesco,” which had its premiere at the Rome Film Festival on Wednesday.
The papal thumbs up came midway through the film that delves into issues he cares about most, including the environment, poverty, migration, racial and income inequality, and the people most affected by discrimination.
“Homosexual people have the right to be in a family. They are children of God,” Francis said in one of his sit-down interviews for the film. “What we have to have is a civil union law; that way they are legally covered.”
While serving as archbishop of Buenos Aires, Francis endorsed civil unions for gay couples as an alternative to same-sex marriages. However, he had never come out publicly in favor of civil unions as pope.
Director Evgeny Afineevsky had remarkable access to cardinals, the Vatican television archives, and the pope himself. He said he negotiated his way in through persistence, and deliveries of Argentine mate tea and Alfajores cookies that he got to the pope via some well-connected Argentines in Rome.
Unesco called for a worldwide ban on smartphones in classrooms, claiming that excessive usage was linked to reduced educational performance and emotional problems.
Putting together a box of roses or any other type of flowers is a fun and creative task but even better when flowers last for a year like they dow at Rose Box NYC. Gal Yakir, head of operations and marketing specialist, joined Cheddar News to explain the process.
Rose Box NYC, a flower shop in New York City where rapper Cardi B has purchased from, helps arrange unique bouquets and provides attractive, preserved floral arrangements. Gal Yakir, head of operations and marketing specialist, spoke with Cheddar News behind its process.