Pope Francis said in the documentary that was published on October 22 of 2020, named “Francesco”, that homosexual people are “Children of God” and that they have the right to be in a family. The Catholic Church holds the teaching that gay people must be treated with decency and respect, but that homosexual acts are “naturally (intrinsically) disordered”. Pope Francis’s tone and the message he is trying to spread is important considering the verbal and physical abuse that LGBTQ people have to face in their everyday life. Pope Francis said, “You can’t kick someone out of a family, nor make their life miserable for this. What we have to have is a civil union law; that way they are legally covered.” 

One of the few main characters in the documentary is Juan Carlos Cruz, a Chilean who is a survivor of sexual abuse from many people in his daily life. Cruz went to meet the Pope for the first time in May of 2018, after their incident in the past, but the Pope says that “God made Cruz gay.” His story was quite horrific as Cruz tells parts throughout the documentary, but Cruz’s story helps Pope Francis to understand the sexual abuse that most homosexuals go through on a daily basis.

Park, an associate professor of theology and religious studies at St. Norbert College, believes that the Pope is not changing the sacrament of marriage within the Catholic faith, but would do his best to make changes due to his personal views. “I would say he is not contradicting previous teachings, but what he is doing and what it’s right to do, is set a tone. Marriage is a sacrament, no he’s not changing that. But perhaps he’s leading a change in the way gay and lesbian families are treated within the church and that would be very, very welcome,” said Park. 

The Pope’s authorized biographer, Sergio Rubin, was politically wise enough to know the church couldn’t stand a winning chance against homosexual marriage. Rubin instead said Pope Francis urged his fellow bishops to lobby for the gay civil unions, but his proposal was quickly shot down by the conservative bishops. Pope Francis, in a newer documentary, confirms what Rubin was trying to transpire. He believed that they needed legislation to protect homosexuals in civil relationships. “I stood up for that.” said the Pope.