Pope challenges climate change deniers; says Trump should rethink DACA repeal if he's truly pro-life

Pope Francis issued a challenge Monday to people who don't buy into the theory of climate change and also questioned President Donald Trump's decision to rescind DACA, advising that the president should look deeper into family values before acting on dismantling the DACA program entirely.

Francis made the comments during an in-flight interview as he was returning to the Vatican from Colombia, where he urged peace in the nation that has been ravaged by civil war for decades.

Pope: Let history judge on climate change

According to The Associated Press, the pope claimed that it is in the best interest of people and policymakers to thoroughly research the theory of climate change before denying its legitimacy, calling it a "moral responsibility."

"Those who deny [climate change] must go to the scientists and ask them," the pope said. "They speak very clearly."

"These aren't opinions pulled out of thin air," he added. "They are very clear. Then [leaders] decide and history will judge those decisions."

On Trump's DACA decision

Francis also told reporters that he hopes Trump will reconsider his decision to rescind DACA and said that if the president is a "good, pro-life believer," he will not necessarily allow families to be torn apart by revoking the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program entirely.

DACA, an Obama-era administration program, allows two-year work permits to undocumented immigrants who came to the United States illegally as children.

"If he is a good pro-life believer, he must understand that family is the cradle of life and one must defend its unity,” Francis said about the president's decision to rescind DACA.

He said that deporting children from the U.S. — and in some cases, away from their families — "isn’t something that bears fruit for either the youngsters or their families."

"I hope [government officials] rethink it a bit," the pope added. "Because I heard the U.S. president speak: He presents himself as a person who is pro-life."