Pope Leo XIV is reaffirming the Catholic Church’s long-standing support for scientific discovery, telling members of the Vatican Observatory Foundation that authentic science can help humanity grow in wonder before God’s Creation.
Speaking Monday during an audience at the Vatican, the Pope reflected on the Church’s mission to pursue truth through both faith and reason. According to Vatican News, Pope Leo pointed back to Pope Leo XIII’s decision to re-establish the Vatican Observatory in 1891 during a period when many people viewed science and religion as enemies.
Pope Leo XIV explained that his predecessor wanted the world to understand “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 devotion,” according to Vatican News.
The Pope warned that modern society now faces a different danger — not simply conflict between science and religion, but a growing rejection of objective truth itself.
“Too many in our world refuse to acknowledge what both science and the Church plainly teach,” Pope Leo said, according to Vatican News, “that we bear a solemn responsibility for the stewardship of our planet and for the welfare of those who dwell upon it, especially the most vulnerable, whose lives are imperilled by the reckless exploitation of both people and the natural world.”
The Holy Father emphasized that the Church’s study of the heavens through astronomy is not separate from her spiritual mission. Instead, he described “rigorous, honest science” as part of the Church’s very identity.
Reflecting on the beauty of the night sky, Pope Leo XIV said the stars remain one of the few experiences shared universally by all people, regardless of wealth or division. According to Vatican News, he said that contemplating the heavens helps humanity place its fears and weaknesses “in the light of God’s immensity.”
The Pope also lamented that artificial light has increasingly hidden the stars from human sight, making the work of the Vatican Observatory even more valuable today.
He praised the Vatican Observatory Foundation for helping students and young researchers study astronomy through educational programs, workshops, and summer schools. The observatory’s telescopes, he said, remain places where people can encounter “the glory of God’s Creation” with reverence and joy.
In closing, Pope Leo XIV reminded those gathered that Christianity is rooted in the mystery of the Incarnation — God entering into His own Creation through Jesus Christ.
“The hunger to understand Creation more fully,” the Pope said, according to Vatican News, “is nothing less than a reflection of that restless longing for God, which lies at the heart of every human soul.”
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