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Inside the VaticanOctober 21, 2020
Pope Francis arrives to pray for peace at the Basilica of Santa Maria in Ara Coeli in Rome Oct. 20, 2020. (CNS photo/Stefano Dal Pozzolo, pool)

In a new documentary that premiered in Rome today, Pope Francis reiterated his support for civil unions for same-sex couples and slammed the Trump administration’s family separation policy.

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This week on “Inside the Vatican,” host Colleen Dulle and Vatican correspondent Gerard O’Connell discuss the new documentary, “Francesco,” directed by Evgeny Afineevsky. Gerry interviewed the director, who sought to depict Francis’ papacy through the lens of the social issues the pope has focused on.

Colleen and Gerry discuss the pope’s comments on the family separation policy coming out just weeks before the U.S. presidential election. “It’s cruelty, and separating kids from parents goes against natural rights,” the pope says in a new interview given for the documentary. “It’s something a Christian cannot do.”

They also discuss the history behind Francis’ endorsement of legal protections for same-sex couples, which dates at least to Francis’ days as archbishop of Buenos Aires.

Read more:

Pope Francis declares support for same-sex civil unions for the first time as pope

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