As the senate plans to continue debating a bill that would legalize civil partnerships for gay people in Italy, Pope Francis has released a reminder of just how much the Catholic Church opposes gay marriage.

In anticipation of Thursday’s debate, the pontiff told Vatican Judges “there can be no confusion between the family God wants and any other type of union”.

“The family, founded on indissoluble matrimony that unites and allows procreation, is part of God’s dream and that of his Church for the salvation of humanity,” he said on Friday.

Italy remains the only major western European state not to recognize civil partnerships or same-sex marriage.

h/t: The Guardian