Palin: Pope Francis' Comments 'Sound Kind of Liberal'

Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin said Tuesday that she was "taken aback" by some of Pope Francis' comments, which she said "sound kind of liberal."

"He's had some statements that to me sound kind of liberal, has taken me aback, has kind of surprised me," the 2008 Republican presidential candidate told CNN. She has a new book, "Good Tidings and Great Joy: Protecting the Heart of Christmas."

But Palin, 49, cautioned that she needed to "do my own homework" rather than trust news media reports on the pope's comments.

"Unless I really dig deep into what his messaging is, and do my own homework, I'm not going to just trust what I hear in the media," she told CNN's Jake Tapper.

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Francis: Who Is Pope Francis? Book Reveals the Man

Since assuming the papacy in March, Francis has made statements that have run counter to those of his predecessor, Pope Benedict XVI.

Two months later, for instance, he said in a homily that atheists should be embraced as good people if they do good works, and that all people, whether religious or not, should be able to work together.

"Even them, everyone," the Pope explained on Vatican Radio. "We all have the duty to do good . . . Just do good, and we'll find a meeting point."

Pope Benedict, 86, was often criticized by non-Catholics for giving the impression that he saw them as second-class believers, according to news reports.

In addition, Pope Francis, who is a decade younger than his predecessor, has made eyebrow-raising comments about homosexuality, abortion, and contraception.

"We cannot insist only on issues related to abortion, gay marriage, and the use of contraceptive methods," he said in an October interview.

In her interview, Palin described herself as a "born-again Christian" who attended a nondenominational, "Bible-believing church" in Alaska.

"When I was a young girl, I remember looking around the beauty of Alaska ... and knowing even as a kid, wow, there is something greater than self," Palin said.

Francis: Who Is Pope Francis? Book Reveals the Man

"I put my life in God's hands at that moment," she said, noting that she was 12 at the time. "I remember calling out to God and saying, 'I believe you.'"

Palin noted that, over the years, "I find myself on my knees calling out to God for assistance, for help, for encouragement — because there has been a lot of things that have surprised us in our family life that, if I didn't have that faith, I don't know how I would be standing today. My faith is everything to me."

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