Francis changed church policy on the death penalty and nuclear weapons but upheld it on abortion

Francis changed church policy on the death penalty and nuclear weapons but upheld it on abortion.

He described abortion as evidence of today’s “throwaway culture” and likened abortion to “hiring a hit man to resolve a problem” Francis allowed ordinary priests — not just bishops — to absolve Catholic women who had intentionally terminated a pregnancy.

Francis was the first pope to use scientific data in a major teaching document by calling global warming a largely human-caused problem.

He called the death penalty "inadmissible" in all cases, regardless of the severity of the crime.

He also called life in prison without parole a "hidden death penalty" and solitary confinement a "form of torture".

Francis denounced the “globalization of indifference” shown to migrants and urged Europe and other countries to open their doors to those seeking better lives.

As archbishop of Buenos Aires , he opposed efforts to legalize same-sex marriage and proposed, unsuccessfully, that the country approve civil unions instead.

He articulated support for those Argentine civil union protections in a 2019 interview with Televisa .