INTERVIEW WITH THE NEW DIRECTOR OF THE VATICAN OBSERVATORY, FATHER RICHARD D’SOUZA, S.J.

On Thursday morning, July 31, the liturgical memorial of Saint Ignatius of Loyola, Pope Leo XIV appointed Father Richard Anthony D’Souza, S.J. as new Director of the Vatican Observatory. Fr. D'Souza has been serving at the Observatory as an astronomer for many years and he will begin his new role as Director on September 19, 2025.

In accordance to Article 19 of Title V of the Law on the Government of the Vatican City State of 25 November 2018, among the scientific bodies under the authority of the Governorate of the Vatican City State, reference is made to the Vatican Observatory. It is defined as a scientific body engaged in astronomical research, whose autonomy is governed by specific regulations. In this interview, published in www.vaticanstate.va Fr. D'Souza retraces the mission of the Vatican Observatory and his plans for the near future.

 

WHAT WAS THE REACTION TO YOUR NEW PAPAL NOMINATION TO HEAD THE VATICAN OBSERVATORY?

Well, I cannot but feel very honored to be appointed by Pope Leo XIV as the next Director of the Vatican Observatory. On one hand, I am aware of the many high-profile Jesuits who have held this position in the past and have paved the way for the Observatory’s success today: I am truly standing on the shoulders of giants. On the other hand, I understand the great responsibility entrusted to me of guiding the Vatican Observatory at this critical time, so that the Specola continues to serve the Pope and the Universal Church, promoting the dialogue between faith and science, through solid scientific research.

 

HOW DO YOU RECONCILE BELONGING TO THE SOCIETY OF JESUS WITH YOUR ACTIVITY AS AN ASTRONOMER?

The Society of Jesus has had a long tradition of Jesuits working in the sciences. One can think of Christopher Clavius, Athanasius Kircher, Roger Boscovich, Angelo Secchi, and countless other Jesuits who made valuable contributions to astronomy.  The Jesuit spirituality, which is incarnational, encourages us to “find God in all things”. Our founder, St. Ignatius of Loyola, himself received great consolation from gazing at the sky and the stars; he encouraged us to see how God was working and laboring for us in his creation. The results of our astronomical research can become a way to praise God as we marvel at what he has created. Our contact with our scientist-colleagues permits us to be present in a pastoral sense and provides a visible sign that the Church is active and present at the margins as well as the frontiers.

 

HOW DOES THE ASTRONOMICAL RESEARCH OF THE VATICAN OBSERVATORY FIT INTO THE BROADER CONTEXT OF INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH?

From its inception in 1891, the Vatican Observatory has been well inserted in international scientific collaborations and community. One of the first projects the Observatory participated in was the “Carte du Ciel” project, an ambitious plan to create a map of the entire sky involving more than a dozen observatories spread around the world. This was the first large international scientific collaboration ever conceived. 

Today, the Vatican Observatory conducts a wide range of astronomical research – from studying meteorites, near-earth objects, planets, extra-solar planetary systems, stars and stellar structure, galaxies, cosmology, to quantum gravity and the Big Bang. After the publication of Pope Francis’ encyclical letter “Laudato Si’ ”, the Observatory has ventured into the field of meteorological and climate research, made possible with the recent arrival of Fr. Bayu Risanto, S.J. Each of the various members of the Vatican Observatory is inserted in a unique field of research, collaborating with colleagues in that particular field of study. In this way, the Observatory reaches out to a wide spectrum of scientists. The Observatory, with a second ‘seat’ in Tucson, Arizona, is also well inserted into the large astronomical community based in the United States. The Observatory regularly organizes important international conferences in Rome or Castel Gandolfo, as well as collaborates with the Pontifical Academy of the Sciences.  In particular, the Lemaitre Conferences organized by Fr. Gabriele Gionti, S.J., have been acclaimed for their depth and their ability to attract high-profile scientists, including Nobel laureates. While the Observatory collaborates regularly with numerous research institutions around the world, it is also particularly positioned to undertake long-term research projects that would not be possible in the present framework of time-limited grants and funding.

Furthermore, our members regularly serve the international scientific community through important roles and positions in the International Astronomical Union and the Meteoritical Society. A good example of this is that our Br. Guy Consolmagno, S.J. is currently serving as the President of the Meteoritical Society.

While the Vatican Observatory, with its limited access to funding, cannot rival the contributions of other state-funded observatories, it nevertheless continues to punch above its weight in terms of influence and quality of astronomical research – it symbolically and concretely demonstrates that “the Church is not opposed to true and solid science, but it embraces it, encourages it with the fullest possible dedication” (Ut Mysticam, Motu Propio of Pope Leo XIII in 1891 at the re-establishment of the Vatican Observatory).

 

WHAT ARE THE CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES THAT THE VATICAN OBSERVATORY FACES IN THE FIELD OF CONTEMPORARY ASTRONOMY?

The world of astronomical research has dramatically changed in the last 40 years. Today, the frontiers of astronomy are now routinely probed with a) larger and larger telescopes, b) instruments costing millions of euro funded by several countries combined, and c) collaborations involving hundreds of scientists. The Vatican Observatory’s strategic independence does not give it automatic access to projects, instruments and data funded by European and U.S. research agencies. Yet, our members, through their intellectual capital and collaborative spirit, have been routinely invited to make professional contributions to these international projects. The challenge going forward is to help our scientific members gain access to these projects so that they can continue to make important scientific contributions on the international stage. On the other hand, the Observatory, due to its independence, can embark on scientific projects that test or challenge the current mainstream paradigms, or do a type of science that is difficult to fund in other contexts. In the coming years, the Observatory needs to balance the benefits that come from its independence with its ability to collaborate with larger international projects.

 

WHAT IS THE ROLE OF THE VATICAN OBSERVATORY IN PROMOTING DIALOGUE BETWEEN SCIENCE AND FAITH?

The scientific research work of the Observatory constantly contributes as proof that science and faith are perfectly compatible. In the 1980s, Pope John Paul II formally commissioned the Observatory to promote public dialogue between science and faith in Catholic Universities throughout the world. From this was born a series of seminars on “Divine Action in the Universe” in collaboration with the Center of Theology and the Natural Sciences (CTNS). At the academic level, our members continue to take part in numerous efforts to promote the dialogue between science and faith through articles, seminars, and meetings. On the other hand, a large part of our effort is also dedicated to didactically educating the Church through seminars, both online and in-person, that faith and science go together seamlessly.

 

HOW DOES THE VATICAN OBSERVATORY CONTRIBUTE TO SCIENTIFIC DISSEMINATION AND THE TRAINING OF NEW GENERATIONS OF SCIENTISTS?

Since the 1980s, the Vatican Observatory has held a prestigious biennial month-long summer school for young astronomy students from around the world, with a particular focus on helping students from developing countries launch into academic careers. The schools remain a memorable event in the lives of all our students. Today, the network of ex-students from these schools extends all around the world: they are well inserted in academic and university positions and this in turn earns a lot of goodwill for the Observatory and the Church. Not only has the model of these schools been replicated by other institutions, but today we are witnessing the phenomenon in which many of our successful alumni return to lead future schools as faculty and resource persons – in some way passing on to the next generation what they have generously received in the past. Above all, the summer schools train students not only to be the best in their field but also help them to focus on building networks and relationships.

 

WHAT ARE THE QUALITIES AND SKILLS TO WORK AT THE VATICAN OBSERVATORY?    

Since the 1930s, the Society of Jesus has taken the responsibility of forming and staffing the Vatican Observatory. A large part of the Jesuit staff is made up of researchers who do astronomical research and are dedicated to understanding the universe. We also have several Jesuits involved in administration and fundraising, essential to enable the continuation of scientific research by the other members. We also have a few Jesuits interested in the history of science and astronomy, as well as public outreach, also important for making the work of the Specolaknown to the public. Besides our lay administrative staff, which supports our work in Castel Gandolfo, we also have several collaborators who support the telescope on Mount Graham in Tucson, Arizona. Apart from the permanent scientific staff of the Specola, we also have a group of adjunct scholars of the Vatican Observatory, who are formally associated with us and who collaborate with us in our work, and extend the reach of the Vatican Observatory.

Much of the success of the Observatory comes from the rich network of relationships and friendships that we have established and maintained over the years. Two qualities that are essential to work at the Specola are a love for the sciences and an ability to collaborate well with others.  A person called to work at the Observatory, must also be thoughtful and discreet as they represent the Church and the Vatican in the scientific world.

Giubileo dei Giovani alla Specola Vaticana

Giubileo dei Giovani alla Specola Vaticana

Anche la Specola in questi giorni si può sentire il clima del Giubileo dei Giovani. Tanti gruppi hanno chiesto di venire a visitarci in questo periodo. Siamo stati felici di poter accogliere alcuni di loro al centro visitatori presso le cupole di Villa Barberini e presso la sede della Specola. Non sono poi mancate le osservazioni al telescopio solare.

Questi incontri sono stati l’occasione per raccontare la storia dell’Osservatorio e le ultime novità sulle ricerche che si svolgono qui alla Specola. Si è creato un bel clima di dialogo partendo dalle tante domande e dalle curiosità dei giovani.

La Specola continua così ad essere anche oggi una fonte di ispirazione per le nuove generazioni e a testimoniare la complementarietà tra scienza e fede.

Fr Richard D‘Souza S.J. is new Director of Vatican Observatory

Pope Leo XIV appoints Fr Richard Anthony D’Souza, S.J., as Director of the Vatican Observatory. The astronomist succeeds Br Guy Consolmagno, S.J, whose 10-year mandate expires in September.

By Vatican News 

Fr D’Souza, who has a doctorate in astronomy and who has been a staff member at the Observatory since 2016, succeeds Br Guy Consolmagno, S.J., whose mandate expires on 19 September 2025.

Commenting on this transition, Br Consolmagno stated, “I am delighted that His Holiness has chosen Fr. D’Souza to be the next director of the Vatican Observatory. I know that Fr. D’Souza has the vision and wisdom to carry the Observatory forward during this time of rapid change in astronomical research, especially given his experience with space telescopes and advanced computational techniques.”

In turn, Fr D’Souza noted, “During his ten years of leadership, Br. Consolmagno has distinguished himself for his dedication to dialogue between science and faith, to scientific dissemination, and the promotion of astronomical research at the international level.”

The statement also noted that after finishing his mandate as Director of the Observatory, Br Consolmagno will continue as a staff astronomer at the Vatican Observatory and as the President of the Vatican Observatory Foundation, headquartered in Tucson, Arizona, USA.

Fr D’Souza biography

Fr. Richard D'Souza SJ was born in 1978 in India and hails from the region of Goa, India. He entered the Society of Jesus in 1996 and was ordained a priest in 2011, having studied philosophy and theology at Jnana Deepa, Pune, India.

His academic formation includes a Bachelor’s degree in Physics;  A Master in Physics at the University of Heidelberg, Germany where he worked at the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy, Heidelberg for his thesis work; A doctorate in astronomy with research done at the Max Planck Institute for Astrophysics in Garching, Munich, concentrating on the formation and evolution of galaxies; A post-doctoral programme at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, USA.

Fr. D'Souza has been a staff member of the Vatican Observatory since 2016 and has held the role of the Superior of the Jesuit community of the Vatican Observatory since 2022. His research focuses on the phenomenon of galaxy merging and its effects on the present day properties of galaxies like the Milky Way. He has published in numerous international scientific journals and is a member of several international collaborations. He is a member of the International Astronomical Union and has recently had an asteroid named after him.

The Vatican Observatory

The Vatican Observatory is one of the oldest astronomical observatories in the world. In founding the present Vatican Observatory in 1891, Pope Leo XIII spelled out the mission of the Observatory in his Motu Propio “Ut Mysticam” writing “…that everyone might see clearly that the Church and her Pastors are not opposed to true and solid science, whether human or divine, but that they embrace it, encourage it, and promote it with the fullest possible dedication.”

"Today," the statement continues, "The Jesuit astronomers at the Vatican Observatory continue to be faithful to this mission – studying a wide variety of fields from stars, meteorites, galaxies, to the large scale of the Universe of cosmology and back its beginnings of the BigBang – seeking to understand the complexity of the Universe and life beyond the solar system and offering a crossroads of dialogue between science, theology and the rich tradition of the Church."

 

 

Pope Leo visits the cupole of the Vatican Observatory

Pope Leo visits the cupole of the Vatican Observatory

56 YEARS AGO - GAZING AT THE MOON IN REMEMBRANCE OF THE FIRST MOON LANDING

 

Around the world millions of viewers were glued to their televisions to watch the live broadcast of the moon landing of the Eagle lunar module from the Apollo 11 mission. About six hours later, Neil Armstrong set foot on the moon. He was the first man to do so. Buzz Aldrin followed him 19 minutes later. It was July 20, 1969—a date that marked a major milestone in the history of humanity.

Fifty-six years later, on Sunday, July 20, after the recitation of the Angelus, Pope Leo XIV wished to commemorate the event by observing the moon, precisely at the same location where the landing occurred: the Sea of Tranquility. He did so through the Visual Telescope of the Vatican Observatory, located in one of the domes on the fifth floor of the Apostolic Palace of Castel Gandolfo. The observation took place during the Pontiff’s visit to the telescopes and instruments housed in the domes, or commonly known as Le Cupole, of the Vatican Observatory. The news was shared by the Holy See Press Office via its Telegram channel.

Present during the Pope’s visit was Rev. David Brown, S.J., of the Vatican Observatory, astronomer and Dean of the Summer School of Astrophysics, who explained how the telescopes function.

Telescopes were in fact the subject of this year's Vatican Observatory Summer School. The theme chosen was “Exploring the Universe with JWST [the James Webb Space Telescope]: The First Three Years,” a tribute to the significant discoveries made possible by this innovative telescope, which has been operational since 2022. Now in its 19th edition, the Summer School took place from June 1 to 27 and was attended by twenty-four young astronomers from twenty-two different countries. It is a biennial event of great prestige in the field of global astronomical education.

On the morning of Monday, June 16, Pope Leo XIV received the participants of the Summer School of Astrophysics in Audience in the Consistory Hall.

On that occasion, he recalled the words of Saint Augustine: “Do not hesitate to share the joy and amazement born of your contemplation of the ‘seeds’ that, in the words of Saint Augustine, God has sown in the harmony of the universe (cf. De Genesi ad Litteram, V, 23, 44–45).”

“The more joy you share, the more joy you create, and thus, through your pursuit of knowledge, each of you can contribute to the building of a more peaceful and just world.”

The Vatican Observatory is one of the oldest active observatories in the world, and the two domes of the Apostolic Palace, Le Cupole, house ancient instruments and historic telescopes that are still in perfect working condition.

In the historic rooms, there is a marble plaque bearing the inscription Deum Creatorem, venite adoremus (“Come, let us adore God the Creator!”). This is the invitation addressed to astronomers by Pope Pius XI when, on September 29, 1935, he inaugurated the new headquarters of the Vatican Observatory after its relocation to Castel Gandolfo. The move was necessary due to the increasing use of electric lights in the city, which made the sky over Rome too bright for observing the faintest stars.

 

 

Vatican Astronomer releases ‘A Jesuit’s Guide to the Stars’

Vatican Astronomer releases ‘A Jesuit’s Guide to the Stars’

The latest book from the director of the Vatican Observatory combines personal reflection with a detailed history of Jesuit engagement with astronomy.

Br Guy Consolmagno, the director of the Vatican Observatory, has published a new book entitled A Jesuit’s Guide to the Stars.

Published on the 4th February, the book charts the long history of Jesuit engagement with astronomy.

As Consolmagno notes in the book's introduction, this is a story which has its origin in the very earliest days of the Society of Jesus. The founder of the Jesuit order, St Ignatius of Loyola, says in his autobiography (which, somewhat confusingly, is written in the third person) that “the greatest consolation that he received . . . was from gazing at the sky and stars, and this he did often, and for quite a long time.”

The story then continues with figures such as Angelo Secchi, the 19th century Italian Jesuit and astronomer – who Consolmagno says “might be the greatest scientist most people have never heard of” -  and Gerard Manley Hopkins, a well-known Jesuit poet and “talented amateur astronomer”.

A Jesuit’s Guide to the Stars is also a very personal book, filled with Consolmagno’s own reflections and even a chapter on how he discovered his vocation to the Jesuit order. A Detroit native, Consolmagno obtained degrees from MIT and the University of Arizona and taught physics at university level before entering the Jesuits in 1989.

The book also contains nuanced reflections on the relationship between faith and science. For instance, Consolmagno warns against 'concordism', or the attempt to find connections between scientific discoveries and the teachings of the Bible. 

“Both religion and science must preserve their autonomy and their distinctiveness," Consolmagno notes, quoting Pope John Paul II. "Religion is not founded on science nor is science an extension of religion.”

You can order A Jesuit’s Guide to the Stars on publisher Loyala Press’ website here.

 

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