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.
Vice President Kamala Harris has Covid, Robinhood layoffs, and a new Marvel movie has a surprising star. Here is all the news you Need2Know for Wednesday, April 27, 2022.
New Jersey has legalized recreational marijuana. The state missed cannabis holiday 4/20 by just a day. Cannabis giant Curaleaf operates three dispensaries in New Jersey. The company's CEO Joe Bayern joins Cheddar to recap the big day.
Tim Brown, research professor at Desert Research Institute and director at the Western Regional Climate Center, joins Cheddar News to discuss the environmental impact of recent wildfires.
According to the Morning Consult, consumer spending in March was significantly impacted by inflation even as habits changed from purchasing goods to services as pandemic restrictions ebbed. Kayla Bruun, an economic analyst for the Morning Consult, joined Cheddar News to talk about the findings."Consumers are getting more and more concerned about paying for gas, paying for groceries — all these prices that are rising so quickly for things that they really don't have the choice but to buy," she said. "They're starting to cut back on the things that are a little bit more discretionary, realizing with prices as high as they are, it's maybe not the best time to be booking a vacation or upgrading their kitchen."
Catching you up on what you need to know on April 26, 2022, with Elon Musk’s purchase of Twitter for $44 billion, Russia warning of a possible threat of World War III, the FDA approving a COVID treatment for children under 12, and more.
Plastic pollution is a problem that experts say is only getting worse. One organization is looking to change that. Activists want to save the beauty of our oceans, with the beauty of art. Brad Parks, conservation education director of the Washed Ashore project, joins Cheddar News to discuss.
In February 2022, over 65 congressional members sent a letter to Secretary Buttigieg and the Department of Transportation urging the agency to update certain safety standards when it comes to crash testing. So, what exactly are advocates calling for and why do they say our crash tests need a major update?
Elon Musk buys Twitter, a Texas mother gets a stay of execution, and one very lucky job-seeker could become Chief Taco Officer. Here is all the news you Need2Know for Tuesday, April 26, 2022.
