We've been hearing a likely change in stances on those issues from the new pope. From women in the church to formally responding, and blessing gay Catholics the pope has indicated a more progressive stance on those issues.
The environment may be the next big thing the pope plans to speak on. At a meeting on Monday with Argentinians dealing with environmental issues comes a Pope opposed to fracking.
An article from el Economista (Chrome translated text and original text below) suggests that the Pope is drafting a papal memo, known as an encyclical, that will address environmental issues.
"We had extensive and profound dialogue on environmental damage that is occurring in our country and the world. Pope Francisco I found that is working great Encyclical on Environment ", has revealed [Argentine Senator Fernando 'Pino' Solanas].
Tal y como recoge el diario argentino 'Clarín', Solanas le ha llevado inquietudes sobre lo que denomina "delitos ambientales", entre los que se encuentra principalmente el acuerdo que realizó el Gobierno argentino con Chevron, "el cual representa el mayor desastre ambiental en el Amazonas", según ha sentenciado Solanas.
When I first heard about Pope Francis being elected, environmentalism was mentioned as one of his areas of interest. Hopefully we will soon, as he said, "respect and protection of the entire creation which God has entrusted to man, not so that it indiscriminately exploited, but rather made into a garden."