On May 19, Pope Leo XIV visited the Vatican Observatory at Castel Gandolfo for the second time. His previous visit took place on July 20 last year, on the occasion of the 56th anniversary of the Moon landing, an event that the scientific community and the Church have remembered as a sign of human curiosity and responsibility toward the universe.
The Vatican Observatory, located in the historic town of the Castelli Romani where the Pontiff spent the day alternating between work commitments and moments of rest, gave the Holy Father an official welcome. Sister Raffaella Petrini, President of the Governorate of Vatican City State, received the Pope together with the General Secretaries, Monsignor Emilio Nappa and Lawyer Giuseppe Puglisi-Alibrandi.
Accompanying and presenting the Observatory’s scientific activities were its Director, Father Richard Anthony D’Souza, and his predecessor, Brother Guy Consolmagno, current President of the Vatican Observatory Foundation. The meeting provided an opportunity to present ongoing research projects, science outreach initiatives, and the care of the Observatory’s historical collections, including valuable astronomical texts and meteorite specimens.
The visit continued with a moment of prayer in the chapel of the Jesuit Community, during which the Pontiff spent time in recollection with members of the religious community. Afterwards, Pope Leo XIV met the Observatory staff—both the scientific-religious team and lay collaborators—and personally greeted them, exchanging words of encouragement and appreciation for their service in research and education.
The meeting highlighted the role of the Observatory as a place of dialogue between faith and science, where the pursuit of knowledge of creation is accompanied by ethical and spiritual reflection. During the visit, international collaboration projects and educational activities for schools and the public were also recalled, helping to promote astronomical culture and foster dialogue between the scientific community and civil society.
The Holy Father’s presence represented a gesture of closeness to the Observatory community and a reaffirmation of the importance the Church places on dialogue with the sciences.
The meeting concluded in a warm atmosphere of fraternity, with hopes of continuing along the paths of research, education, and service to others.
