The New York Times reports.“What we have to create is a civil union law. That way they are legally covered,” the pope said in the film.“They’re children of God and have a right to a family,” he continued. “Nobody should be thrown out or be made miserable because of it.”The timing of the remarks isn’t clear, but filmmaker Evgeny Afineevsky told the Times Francis made the comments directly to him for the documentary.Italy actually already has civil unions, and most countries in Western Europe have marriage equality.
So the pope is behind the curve when it comes to law, but his remarks still represent a major move within the church, although it's unclear if they will have any effect on church doctrine.