The Holy Father provided a vision for the scientists-in-training saying, “Since its establishment, the Vatican Observatory has sought to demonstrate the Church’s desire to embrace, encourage and promote scientific study, on the basis of her conviction that "faith and reason are like two wings on which the human spirit rises to the contemplation of truth" (Fides et Ratio).
This summer’s program, which is devoted to the study of the study of Extra-solar Planets, will be taught by the Jesuit Fathers and Brothers who staff the Observatory.
The Pope reminded the students that they should get more out of their studies than scientific knowledge. “In addition to your demanding research, however, you will have a precious opportunity to learn together with students from twenty-two different countries. The wide variety of your backgrounds and cultural traditions can be a source of great enrichment to you all.”