Pope Francis says Benedict XVI supported him in debate on the rights of LGBT couples

Pope Francis found an ally in his predecessor Benedict XVI when he came out in favor of civil unions for same-sex couples, the pontiff said in a new book to be released in Spain.

The work is scheduled to be published on Wednesday (3), but its content was shared in advance this Tuesday (2) with several vehicles, including Reuters.

Francis has confirmed the Catholic Church's opposition to LGBT marriages, but has repeatedly said that same-sex couples have the right to be protected by civil union laws.

Greater openness toward the LGBT community has been one of the hallmarks of his 11-year papacy, but Benedict XVI, a more conservative pope, was not known as sympathetic to the cause.

However, Francis said Benedict defended him to an unidentified group of cardinals who came to him to complain about the pope's “heresies” regarding his stance on civil unions.

“They showed up at his house to practically take me to trial and accused me in front of him of supporting same-sex marriage,” Francisco said.

Benedict XVI listened, “helped them to distinguish things” and told them that what Francis had said was “no heresy,” the pope said.

Francisco made the revelation in the book “Pope Francisco. The Successor: My memories of Benedict XVI”, based on interviews with journalist Javier Martínez-Brocal.

In February 2023, the pope had already said that Benedict XVI once rejected a complaint about what Francis said about civil unions, but offered fewer details.

In December, Francis allowed priests to bless same-sex couples, sparking outrage from conservatives but insisting that this did not amount to formal approval for non-heterosexual relationships.

There is no suggestion that Francis discussed this move with Benedict, who continued to live at the Vatican after his shock decision to resign in 2013, until his death in late 2022.