Documentary on Francisco's 'Same-Sex Union' Remarks Sparks Vatican's Response: "Distorted by Editing"

Documentary 'Francisco' Released on the 21st Clarifies Pope's Remarks
"Two Different Questions in Terms of Timing... Distorted During Editing"
Documentary Producer, Russian-born American Gay Man

Pope Francis.
Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bong-ju] The Vatican has stepped in to clarify after controversy arose over Pope Francis' remarks supporting 'same-sex unions,' stating that the context of the remarks was distorted during the editing process of a documentary interview.

On the 1st (local time), according to Catholic News Agency (CNA) and others, the Vatican Secretariat of State sent an official letter last week to Vatican ambassadors stationed around the world, instructing them to share the contents with local bishops.

It was reported that this letter was also sent to the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Korea through the Vatican ambassador to the Republic of Korea on the 2nd.

In a Spanish-language interview featured in the documentary "Francisco," which premiered as the opening film of the Rome International Film Festival in Italy on the 21st of last month, the Pope said about homosexuals, "They are also children of the Lord and have the right to be part of the family. They should not be abandoned or made miserable because they are homosexual."

He continued, "What we need to create is a 'civil coexistence law' (una ley de convivencia civile). It is a way for them to be legally protected. I support this."

The Pope's remarks were interpreted as supporting civil unions between same-sex couples, which are not permitted by the Catholic Church, causing a stir. In particular, conservative Catholic groups strongly opposed the comments.

Civil unions have been proposed as an alternative to legalizing same-sex marriage, granting same-sex couples legal rights equivalent to those of opposite-sex couples. Some European countries, including Italy, and some states in the United States have adopted such laws.

However, according to Catholic doctrine, marriage is between a man and a woman, and same-sex marriage is not permitted.

The interview in question was conducted last May by a Vatican correspondent from Televisa, Mexico's largest broadcaster, and was cited by Evgeny Afineevsky, the director of the documentary.

Director Evgeny Apineyevsky, who made the controversial documentary.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

The Secretariat of State stated in the official letter that the Pope's remarks, which answered two different questions at different times, were combined into one during the documentary's editing, completely distorting the intent and context.

Regarding the Pope's first interview remark, the Secretariat explained that the Pope emphasized that a person should not be abandoned by their family simply because they have a homosexual orientation. The Pope's statement was not about homosexuals having the right to form a family.

Furthermore, the remarks about the civil union law were made clearly in the context of opposing same-sex marriage.

Looking at the entire interview containing the remarks, the Secretariat explained that the Pope was responding to a Mexican journalist's question about his opposition to same-sex marriage when he was Archbishop of Buenos Aires over ten years ago, saying, "It is inappropriate to talk about same-sex marriage," and "What we need to create is a civil coexistence law. It is a way for them to be legally protected. I support this."

The part emphasizing opposition to same-sex marriage was cut out, and the preceding interview remarks were connected, distorting the Pope's words as if he recognized same-sex couples forming families or same-sex unions.

The Secretariat emphasized, "It is clear that the Pope did not say anything contrary to Catholic doctrine."

Evgeny Afineevsky, the Russian-born American director who made the documentary, is openly homosexual and previously made a documentary in 2009 addressing the acceptance of homosexual children in Jewish families.

Director Afineevsky has not commented on the editing of the Pope's interview quoted in the documentary.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.