The invention is directed to a particular class of metal complexes, specifically certain texaphyrin metal complexes, which both hydrolyze and photocleave RNA, and which also both hydrolyze RNA and photocleave DNA. In one embodiment, the present invention is directed to a method for both hydrolyzing and photocleaving a polymer of ribonucleic acid, the method comprising the steps of contacting the polymer of ribonucleic acid with a texaphyrin metal complex exhibiting catalytic activity for both hydrolysis and photocleavage of ribonucleic acid polymers, incubating the polymer and the metal complex under conditions and for a time sufficient to hydrolyze the phosphate ester bond of the polymer, and exposing the texaphyrin metal complex to light for a time sufficient to photocleave the polymer. In another embodiment of the present invention, the invention is directed to a method for both hydrolyzing a polymer of ribonucleic acid and photocleaving a polymer of deoxyribonucleic acid, the method comprising the steps of contacting a mixture of the ribonucleic acid polymer and the deoxyribonucleic acid polymer with a texaphyrin metal complex exhibiting catalytic activity for both hydrolysis of ribonucleic acid polymers and photocleavage of deoxyribonucleic acid polymers, incubating the polymer mixture and the metal complex under conditions and for a time sufficient to hydrolyze the phosphate ester bond of the ribonucleic acid polymer, and exposing the texaphyrin metal complex to light for a time sufficient to photocleave the deoxyribonucleic acid polymer.