Pope Francis delivers his message after the Angelus noon blessing from the window of his studio overlooking St. Peter's Square at the Vatican, July 12, 2020. (ALESSANDRA TARANTINO / AP)

The Vatican walked back Pope Francis’s comments supporting same-sex unions, saying the pontiff’s words were taken out of context.

In a documentary first aired Oct 21, the pope was shown saying that gay couples “have a right to a family”

In a documentary first aired Oct 21, the pope was shown saying that gay couples “have a right to a family.” This was seen as a significant shift from the Catholic Church’s long-held opposition to homosexual relationships, but so far the Vatican has refrained from officially commenting on the incident.

READ MORE: Pope: Same-sex couples should be covered by civil union laws

In an internal document for bishops first posted on Twitter by papal biographer Austen Ivereigh, the Vatican says that the pope’s answers to two different questions were edited as a single segment without providing appropriate context. The document’s authenticity was confirmed by a Vatican official.

The pope was referring to the right of gay people to be accepted by their families, the document said.

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The two-page letter seeks to square off the pope’s ground-breaking comments on the documentary. It says that the pope was referring to legal frameworks in some countries where civil unions were allowed between same-sex couples and he was not breaking with church doctrine.