Associated Reporters Abroad (ARA) - Professional freelance journalists reporting for media outlets worldwide

VATICAN CITY — The leak of the papal encyclical on the environment three days early highlights a rift in the Catholic Church between those who share Pope Francis' view that mankind should be the guardian of nature and those who think the risks of climate change are exaggerated.

The encyclical will officially be released Thursday and is called "Laudato Sii" — translated from Latin as "Praised Be," a reference to a prayer from the pope's namesake, St. Francis, viewed by Catholics as the patron saint of ecology. But an Italian-language draft of the document was posted Monday by L'Espresso magazine and quickly prompted worldwide attentio

Read more at The Washington Times