Pope Francis praised the work of the Vatican Observatory in a September 18 audience and appointed Brother Guy Consolmagno, SJ, as its new director.
Brother Consolmagno, an American Jesuit, succeeds Father José Gabriel Funes, an ellow astronomer and an Argentine Jesuit.
“The universe is more than a scientific problem to be solved, it is a joyful mystery we contemplate with joy and praise,” Pope Francis told participants in a symposium sponsored by the Observatory.
“In the context of interreligious dialogue, today more urgent than ever, scientific research on the universe can offer a unique perspective, shared by believers and non-believers, to help achieve a better religious understanding of creation,” he added.
Source: http://www.catholicculture.org/news/headlines/index.cfm?storyid=26167
