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.
State Representative Marcus C. Evans, Jr. from Chicago filed amendments to an Illinois bill that would further ban games considered to be too violent from reaching the hands of minors.
The slaughter of nearly 900 cattle that have been stuck on a cargo ship in the Mediterranean for two months has been postponed until Thursday.
The business that preserves and protects the legacy of Dr. Seuss has announced it will stop publishing six titles because of racist and insensitive imagery.
The pill comprises 40% of the profits in the U.S. contraceptive market and 25% of contraceptive consumers, causing millions of unnecessary ‘periods’ along the way. So, why hasn’t birth control evolved beyond the pseudo-period?
Jill and Carlo discuss the state of the pandemic, another Cuomo accuser, Biden's immigration conundrum, why no one is watching live TV, and more.
Wellness guru Deepak Chopra and fitness wearables company Fitbit have teamed up in an exclusive partnership called the Mindful Method.
Mastercard is teaming with the Fearless Fund, an organization that invests in businesses led by women of color. The partnership will provide a grant program to help Black women entrepreneurs receive the funding and tools necessary to thrive.
Officials at the Pompeii archaeological site in Italy have announced the discovery of an intact ceremonial chariot, one of several important discoveries made outside the park following an investigation into an illegal dig.
Jill and Carlo are back with the news from the weekend: another vaccine is here, CPAC wrap, Cuomo apologizes and the big wins at the very weird Golden Globes.
New York City restaurants received the go ahead reopen for indoor dining service with days to notice. Cheddar's Chloe Aiello reports on how workers prepared.
