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.
Jill and Carlo break down the latest debate into the origins of COVID, Facebook hiding likes, a momentous day for the climate movement, and more.
A beloved children’s author and illustrator whose classic “The Very Hungry Caterpillar” and other works gave millions of kids some of their earliest and most cherished literary memories, has died. Eric Carle was 91.
Excessive sanitizing over COVID-19 fears may actually be harming more than helping. Cheddar explains.
An employee opened fire at a California rail yard serving Silicon Valley, killing eight people before ending his own life.
A big milestone in the vaccination drive as a majority of Americans are now fully vaccinated. Also, signs the housing market could be cooling. And what happens when Hollywood crosses China?
Jill and Carlo discuss the EU's response to the Belarus "hijacking," COVID restrictions falling by the day, the state of BLM one year since George Floyd's murder, an uptick in ticks, and more.
Cheddar News announces a new hour-long talk show, None of the Above with J.D. Durkin, airing each weeknight at 8pm ET beginning on Monday, June 7th.
Jill and Carlo take stock of the state of the pandemic. News flash: it's good! Plus, exploring the 'lab leak' origin theory, how Belarus forced a passenger jet down, and the non-debate over sexist dress codes.
The White House is pushing a new reason to swipe right: Dating apps are starting to offer vaccination badges and “super swipes” for people who've gotten their coronavirus shots.
A fragile truce between Israel and Gaza appears to be holding, vaccine boosters on the way, taking a look at Ford's 'Cybertruck killer,' the worst plastic polluters, and more news and insight from the week.
