The Vatican Observatory Foundation received in audience by Pope Leo XIV

On Monday, May 11, the members of the Vatican Observatory Foundation attended the Audience with Pope Leo XIV, experiencing a moment of encounter and sharing deeply connected to the mission of the Vatican Observatory.

In his address, the Holy Father expressed his gratitude for the support that the Foundation has provided for many years to the scientific and educational activities of the Vatican Observatory, recalling how Leo XIII, when he re-established the Observatory in 1891, wished to show that the Church “welcomes, encourages and promotes” genuine scientific research.

Pope Leo XIV emphasized the value of the dialogue between science and faith, which today are called to work together in the search for truth and in the care of Creation. In this context, astronomical research continues to represent not only a study of the universe, but also an opportunity for wonder, reflection and encounter among different cultures and peoples.

Referring specifically to astronomy, the Holy Father recalled how contemplatinf the sky can still inspire wonder and a sense of unity: the night sky, he said, remains “one of the last truly universal sources of joy”, accessible to everyone, rich and poor alike.

Today’s meeting represented an important opportunity for the Vatican Observatory Foundation to renew its commitment to supporting the mission of the Vatican Observatory: to promote astronomical research, the education of young scholars and dialogue among science, culture and faith.

  • The asteroid (688117) Omizzolo, discovered on April 21, 2012 by astronomers K. Černis and R.P. Boyle at the Observatory on Mount Graham in Arizona, was named in honor of Don Alessandro Omizzolo, a priest, astronomer, and member of the Vatican Observatory.

    Born in 1956, Don Omizzolo has devoted his...

  •  

     

    On May 19, Pope Leo XIV visited the Vatican Observatory in Castel Gandolfo for the second time. His previous visit took place on July 20, on the occasion of the 56th annuversary of the Moon landing, an event that the scientific community and the Church have remembered as a sign of human curiosity...

  • When twenty-five students and three faculty members gathered for the first Vatican Observatory Summer School (VOSS) in June of 1986, they were the result of a far-reaching idea that occurred to Father Martin McCarthy, S.J., in late summer two years earlier. It was evening at Castel Gandolfo. He...

  • On Saturday, May 9, the TG2 Mizar program dedicated a feature to the Vatican Observatory, including an interview with Father Gabriele Gionti and an account of the scientific activities of the Holy See’s Observatory.

    The feature retraced the history of the Vatican Observatory, from its origins to...