Massachusetts bishops speak out against death penalty for alleged Boston Marathon bomber

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But what the current popes are saying about the death penalty is not the same. Since the authority of the office is constancy, knowledge of history itself is what is undercutting the authority of the teaching.

This is surely a problem, exacerbated by those who support the current popes’ position for the wrong reasons.

The better conclusion therefore is not that there has been a change in teaching, but that everyone, even popes, are entitled to their own opinions.

Exactly. The problem you cited above does not exist when people understand that the teaching on capital punishment has not in fact changed, and that the current opposition to its use is practical and not doctrinal.

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