Pope Francis gives the thumbs up sign to journalists during a press conference | File photo

Pope Francis says he thinks same-sex couples should be allowed to get married, the BBC has reported.

He made the comments, which observers say are his clearest remarks yet on gay relationships, in a documentary.

In the film, which premiered on Wednesday, the Catholic Church leader states that “Homosexual people have a right to be in a family.”

"They are children of God and have a right to a family"

Pope Francis indicates support for same-sex couples to have 'civil unions' https://t.co/RYrJ81FvMW

— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) October 21, 2020

“They are children of God and have a right to a family. Nobody should be thrown out or made miserable over it,” Pope Francis stresses.

The current Catholic doctrine describes gay relationships as “deviant behavior”.

In 2003, the Vatican’s doctrinal body, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, said “respect for homosexual persons cannot lead in any way to approval of homosexual behavior or to legal recognition of homosexual unions”.

“What we have to create is a civil union law. That way they are legally covered,” he adds.