“Republican presidential hopeful Rick Santorum says he loves Pope Francis, but he wants the pontiff to stop talking about climate change. Santorum, a devout Catholic, told Philadelphia radio host Dom Giordano on Monday that the pope should “leave science to the scientists.”

“His comment comes as the pope, who earned a master’s degree in chemistry before turning to priesthood, becomes increasingly vocal about climate change. Pope Francis is preparing a groundbreaking encyclical to be released in the coming weeks that’s expected to make the case that taking action to fight climate change is a moral and religious imperative.

“Santorum described himself as a “huge fan” of the pope and said he appreciates the pontiff’s commitment to family issues, but he wants the church to stay out of science. “The church has gotten it wrong a few times on science, and I think that we probably are better off leaving the science to the scientists and focusing on what we’re really good at, which is theology and morality,” Santorum said. “When we get involved with political and controversial scientific theories, I think the church is not as forceful and credible.”

“Let’s just stick to what we know,” Santorum commented on his statements exclusively for Newslo. “I love and respect the guy, but science is science and it should not be taken lightly, especially not by men of God. Climate change, as well as God’s creation of mankind, are scientific facts; religion and science have opposing views on many things in today’s world, including this one. It’s nothing new.”