Vatican City, Jun 18, 2015 / 04:00 am (CNA/EWTN News).- In his newly released encyclical on the environment, Pope Francis did not hesitate to wade into controversial topics, making statements on global warming, pollution, species extinction and global inequality’s impact on natural resources.

“A very solid scientific consensus indicates that we are presently witnessing a disturbing warming of the climatic system,” the Pope said in his new encyclical “Laudato Si.”