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Vatican Observatory FAQs

What follows is based on some of the questions that we get asked.

The Galileo Affair

Why is the Vatican interested in astronomy?

What is the mission statement for the Vatican Observatory, at least in part?

Is the Church looking for something in space, for example, a sign from above, for lack of abetter way to put it?

It seems to have been the Jesuit Priests who have been most involved with the sciencesfor the Church. Is this a valid statement?

Do you report your findings directly to the Holy See? What is the pope's involvement in

the Vatican Observatory?

Is one of the roles that the Vatican Observatory plays in astronomy that of verifying whatother astronomers are telling the public in order to make sure what they are reporting to thepublic is actually true?

Does the pope have a personal interest in astronomy?

How did you personally become interested in astronomy, and what led you to become a

Jesuit astronomer?

For FAQs about Galileo, please visit our history of astronomy page.

Initially it was for a practical reason, to reform the Julian Calendar, like so many national observatories thatwere started, e.g., to improve navigation at sea; later at the establishment of the present form of the VaticanObservatory in 1891, for an apologetic purpose, in the sense of defending the Catholic Church's positiveregard for science; now to join in doing good science in a way that is possible, given the Vatican's otherconcerns, as part of the consequence that the Incarnation of Christ applies to all human activity.

From Leo XIII's letter, Motu Proprio, establishing the Vatican Observatory in 1891, to show that "the Churchand her Pastors are not opposed to true and solid science, whether human or divine, but that they embraceit, encourage it, and promote it with the fullest possible dedication": i.e., to counteract claims of obscurantismon part of Church. Now its mission is more to do good science, for its own sake, and to be a bridge betweenChurch and Science (see Interdisciplinary Studies).

No - despite the suspicions of some.

Since the foundation of the Jesuit Order in 16th Century, yes. Compared with other orders, Jesuits have moremen, more flexibility in the type of work undertaken, and a tradition of scholarship. However, note thatBarnabites, Oratorians, and Augustinians all were involved in the Vatican Observatory in its early days.

Our findings are given in an annual report, in Italian, to the Holy See. The Pope directly supports the VaticanObservatory.

No, not formally. The watchdog for astronomers is the astronomical community itself, and so by being part ofthat community the Vatican Observatory astronomers join in that watchdog role. For example, we join inrefereeing papers by other astronomers before they are published in the main journals, just as our papers are

so refereed; and we write book reviews and critiques along with the rest.

Theories, such as the Big Bang, certainly have a powerful effect on our imagination. One must always becareful though when a theory fits too well into our imaginations or theologies: e.g., Pius XII in 1951 seemedto jump too readily on the Big Bang bandwagon because it implied a beginning of the universe and so fitted inrather well with the first chapter of Genesis (See Jsef Turek on Georges Lematre and the Pontifical Academyof Sciences, Vatican Observatory Publications, Vol.2, No.13, p.167).

So, the Vatican Observatory is not the police force for astronomers, but we join in the self-policing that musthappen in the sciences, for we are always in danger of jumping on bandwagons and of espousing later-proven false theories.

Not specifically; he has an interest more in the general field of science and theology, i.e., interdisciplinarystudies. Pius XII could be described as an amateur astronomer, though.

[Corbally] Through an interest in science at my high school, though the actual observatory was in disrepair atthat time. I became a Jesuit upon leaving school, and, with superiors' consent, gradually focussed on thepossibility of astronomy and particularly the Vatican Observatory during the course of my further studies.

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What is the Vatican Observatory's position on the use of Mount Graham, a preciousmountain resource, for an astronomical observatory?

You will find its position in two statements, one dealing with the mountain ecology and the other with theAmerican Indian Peoples issue.

You may also find helpful a comment by the editor of the Eastern Arizona Courier, Bret Bradigan.

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