Pope toured Vatican Observatory at Castel Gandolfo
July 16, 2013
During his weekend trip to Castel Gandolfo, Pope Francis visited the Vatican Observatory there, and was given a tour of the Observatory’s library and research collection.
Father José Gabriel Funes, the director of the Observatory, told Vatican Radio that the staff had prepared a special exhibit for the Pontiff: a meteorite that had landed in Buenos Aires, the Pontiff’s home town. The Observatory, staffed by Jesuits, was delighted to receive the first Jesuit elected to the papacy.
Father Funes said that he drew inspiration from the Pope’s frequent exhortations for priests to bring the Gospel message to the boundaries of society. “I think this is the mission of the Observatory,” said the Jesuit priest; “Go out to the truly most distant boundaries: the boundaries of the universe, that is always a gift of God.”
For all current news, visit our News home page.
Further information:
All comments are moderated. To lighten our editing burden, only current donors are allowed to Sound Off. If you are a current donor, log in to see the comment form; otherwise please support our work, and Sound Off!
