A great deal of this is spin, and not a doctrinal change. The Church's right wing was getting too rigid, and was turning people off. In the USA there are bishops who were telling people to vote republican in the last election. Clearly things had gone too far.

If you look at what this pope has said, he has not changed the doctrine of the church, nor will he. He is simply stating a basic fact..."You may hate the sin, but you must love the sinner." Judgment is up to God. It is certainly a refreshing and appropriate way to look at things, and it will get him some popularity. I doubt it will reverse the decline in church attendance in the west, however.