Pope Leo: The Church embraces ‘rigorous, honest science’
May 11, 2026
Pope Leo XIV told members of the Vatican Observatory Foundation today that “the Church’s embrace of rigorous, honest science remains not merely valuable, but essential.”
The Foundation supports the astronomical work of the Vatican Observatory, founded in 1582 and headquartered at Castel Gandolfo.
During the midday audience, which took place in Consistory Hall of the Apostolic Palace, the Pope recalled that when Pope Leo XIII refounded the Vatican Observatory in 1891, the Church “felt an urgent need to counter the growing perception that faith and science were enemies.”
“Yet today, both science and religion face a different and perhaps more insidious threat: those who deny the very existence of objective truth,” the Pope continued. “Too many in our world refuse to acknowledge what both science and the Church plainly teach—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 imperiled by the reckless exploitation of both people and the natural world.”
Reflecting on astronomy, the Pontiff said that “the capacity to gaze with wonder at the sun, the moon, and stars is a gift given to every human being, regardless of station or circumstance. It awakens in us both awe and a saving sense of proportion.”
“Contemplating the heavens invites us to see our fears and our failings in the light of God’s immensity,” he continued. “The night sky is a treasury of beauty open to all—rich and poor alike—and in a world so painfully divided, it remains one of the last truly universal sources of joy.”
The Pope added:
We must never lose sight of the theological vision that animates all of this. Ours is a religion of the Incarnation. Scripture teaches us that from the very beginning, God has made himself known through the things he has created (cf. Rom 1:20), and that God so loved this creation that he sent his own Son to enter into it and redeem it (cf. Jn 3:16).
It is therefore no surprise that people of deep faith feel drawn to explore the origins and workings of the Universe. The hunger to understand creation more fully is nothing less than a reflection of that restless longing for God which lies at the heart of every soul.
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