Pope Francis endorsed civil unions for same-sex couples for the first time while being filmed for a documentary that premiered Wednesday.
In the film "Francesco," Pope Francis said civil unions legally protect couples. He added, "Homosexual people have the right to be in a family. They are children of God."
Pope Francis endorsed same-sex civil unions as an alternative to gay marriage when he was an archbishop. But he hasn't made his stance public since becoming pope.
Contains footage from CNN.
