▁including ▁profess ors ▁and ▁Catholic ▁cler gy , ▁calling ▁on ▁the ▁card inals ▁to ▁advise ▁Pope ▁Francis ▁to ▁ret ract ▁a ▁recent ▁revision ▁made ▁to ▁the ▁C ate ch ism ▁regarding ▁the ▁adm iss ibility ▁of ▁the ▁death ▁penalty . ▁The ▁appeal ▁expressed ▁concern ▁that ▁the ▁change ▁in ▁the ▁c ate ch ism ▁contradict s ▁prior ▁Catholic ▁teaching ▁on ▁the ▁death ▁penalty ▁and ▁may ▁cast ▁doubt ▁on ▁the ▁reli ability ▁of ▁the ▁Mag ister ium . ▁Other ▁the olog ians ▁who ▁maintain ▁that ▁there ▁can ▁be ▁no ▁such ▁development ▁in ▁Church ▁doctrine , ▁describe ▁Francis ' ▁change ▁as ▁rather ▁rep rior it izing ▁do ctr ines . ▁ ▁International ▁policy ▁ ▁Pope ▁Francis ▁has ▁reg url ar ly ▁been ▁accused ▁by ▁Conserv atives ▁of ▁having ▁a ▁" soft ▁spot " ▁for ▁left ist ▁popul ist ▁movements . ▁After ▁Francis ' s ▁visit ▁to ▁Cuba ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 5 , ▁Catholic ▁Y ale ▁historian ▁Carlos ▁E ire ▁spoke ▁of ▁a ▁" pre fer ential ▁option ▁for ▁the ▁opp ress ors " ▁in ▁Latin ▁America . ▁Nevertheless , ▁Pope ▁Francis ▁remained ▁host ile ▁to ▁right - wing ▁popul ism . ▁ ▁People ' s ▁Republic ▁of ▁China ▁ ▁In ▁ 2 0 1 8 , ▁Argent ine ▁Bishop ▁Marcel o ▁S ánchez ▁Sor ondo , ▁ch an cell or ▁of ▁the ▁Pont ific al ▁Academy ▁of ▁Social ▁Sciences , ▁declared ▁that ▁" th ose ▁who ▁are ▁best ▁implementing ▁the ▁social ▁doctrine ▁of ▁the ▁Church ▁are ▁the ▁Chinese ." ▁Matthew ▁Sch mit z ▁replied