VATICAN CITY Pope Francis has praised the virtues of sex in a documentary released on Wednesday, describing it as one of the beautiful things that God has given to the human person.

The 86-year-old pontiff made the comment in the Disney+ production The Pope Answers, which captures a meeting he had in 2022 in Rome with 10 people in their early 20s.

Pope Francis was quizzed by them on a variety of topics, including LGBTQ rights, abortion, the porn industry, sex, faith and sex abuse within the Catholic Church.

Sex is one of the beautiful things that God has given to the human person, he said in the documentary.

To express yourself sexually is a richness. So anything that detracts from real sexual expression lessens you and depletes this richness, he said, referring to masturbation.

The Pope was also asked whether he knew what a non-binary person is, and he replied affirmatively. He repeated that LGBTQ people must be welcomed by the Catholic Church.

All persons are the children of God, all persons. God does not reject anybody, God is a father. And I have no right to expel anyone from the Church, he said.

On abortion, he said priests should be merciful towards women who have terminated a pregnancy, but said the practice remains unacceptable.

It is good to call things by their name. It is one thing to accompany the person who had one (abortion), quite another to justify the act, he said.

The Popes remarks were published by LOsservatore Romano, the official Vatican newspaper, which described his conversation with the young people as an open and sincere dialogue. REUTERS More On This Topic Pope Francis' health after 10 years in the job: Slower steps, same determination Popes are for life, resignations should not become the fashion: Pope Francis