( CNN ) -- Pope Francis made headlines Friday by coming out against the legalization of drugs , saying `` drug addiction is an evil , and with evil there can be no yielding or compromise . '' Elbowing out space in the news cycle is familiar work for the 77-year-old leader of the world 's Catholics , whose man-of-the-people style and frank way of speaking have endeared him to millions . Here are a few of the comments that have generated both praise and criticism : . Homosexuality . Nearly a year ago , Francis thrilled the gay and lesbian community when he said of homosexuals , `` Who am I to judge ? '' He later said the church should n't `` interfere spiritually '' in the lives of gays and lesbians , who saw the statements as a crack in church 's teaching that homosexuality is a sin . Francis revisited the issue in a wide-ranging interview released by Jesuit magazines last year . `` By saying this , I said what the catechism says , '' the Pope said , referring to the Catholic Church 's book of official doctrine . The catechism condemns homosexual acts , but says gays and lesbians `` must be accepted with respect , compassion , and sensitivity . '' He spoke out again on the issue in March , when he said that economic needs could perhaps justify civil unions for gay couples , even if church teaching still forbids same-sex marriage . His comments were `` the first time a Pope has indicated even tentative acceptance of civil unions , '' according to Catholic News Service . But the Vatican later denied Francis ' comments signaled any change in church policy toward same-sex unions . Pope Francis ' greatest hits of 2013 . Capitalism . At times , Francis has been so critical of the wealthy that critics have taken to calling him a Marxist . He 's lambasted consumerism , chastised people for throwing away food and rapped titans of industry on the knuckles for what he says is an unhealthy focus on money . The exclusive focus on profits `` goes against God , '' he said a few months after becoming Pope . He warned in a major policy document that the `` idolatry of money '' would lead to a `` new tyranny '' and questioned `` a crude and naÃ¯ve trust in the goodness of those wielding economic power . '' Church reform . He has spoken out against slavish attention in the church to issues such as abortion , contraception and divorce , and has criticized it for focusing less on caring for the world than its own preservation . He 's made suggestions about carving a greater role for women in the church , reportedly told an Argentine woman that her divorce does n't precluding her from taking Communion , and famously said a year ago that even atheists are redeemed by God . Throughout , he 's urged church leaders to relax their focus on doctrine and move into the trenches to bring hope and healing into a broken world . `` I prefer a Church which is bruised , hurting and dirty because it has been out on the streets , rather than a Church which is unhealthy from being confined and from clinging to its own security , '' the Pope said in his statement . `` I do not want a Church concerned with being at the center and then ends by being caught up in a web of obsessions and procedures . '' Pope Francis : No more business as usual . CNN 's Daniel Burke , Dan Merica , Eric Marrapodi , and Alanna Petroff contributed to this report .
Pope Francis has astonished millions with his commentary on social , church issues . He 's given hope to gays and lesbians with comforting words . And he 's poked capitalists who he says are too focused on money . Not even his own church is off limits .