Pope's support for same-sex unions delights Bollywood stars; Richa, others praise comment

Pope Francis’ support for same-sex civil unions drew mixed reactions worldwide. However, many celebrities from the film industry came out in support and hailed the religious leader for the statement. Actors Richa Chadha, Adil Hussain, Shruti Seth and Shama Sikandar were among those who expressed their delight over the ‘progressive’ statement.

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Bollywood stars praise Pope’s comment on same-sex couples

Richa Chadha posted clapping and rainbow emojis, symbol representative of the LQBTQ community as she reacted to the news. 

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Shruti Seth called it the ‘best thing to have happened in 2020’ and that ‘love wins’. Adil Hussain praised the Pope for being ‘truly progressive, Courageous.’

Here are the reactions

Pope Endorses Same-sex Civil Unions In New Film

Pope Francis endorsed same-sex civil unions for the first time as pope while being interviewed for the feature-length documentary “Francesco,” which premiered Wednesday at the Rome Film Festival.

The papal thumbs-up came midway through the film that delves into issues Francis 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.

The Jesuit priest who has been at the forefront in seeking to build bridges with gays in the church, the Rev. James Martin, praised the pope's comments as “a major step forward in the church’s support for LGBT people.”

"The Pope’s speaking positively about civil unions also sends a strong message to places where the church has opposed such laws," Martin said in a statement.

One of the main characters in the documentary is Juan Carlos Cruz, the Chilean survivor of clergy sexual abuse whom Francis initially discredited during a 2018 visit to Chile.

Cruz, who is gay, said that during his first meetings with the pope in May 2018, Francis assured him that God made Cruz gay.

(With inputs from AP)

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