by Dr. Anna M. Christianson
Pope St. John Paul II opened his encyclical Fides et Ratio with the comparison of faith and reason to “two wings on which the human spirit rises” in its pursuit of truth. Few modern individuals better exemplify how to fly with both those wings than Br. Guy Consolmagno, S.J. This Jesuit brother and world-renowned astronomer will speak at Bellarmine University at the 6th annual Archdiocese of Louisville Gold Mass on Sunday, Nov. 15th. The Gold Mass is a special Mass honoring science and scientists and witnessing to the harmony between the Catholic faith and science.
Br. Guy Consolmagno, S.J., is the director emeritus of the Vatican Observatory and current president of the Vatican Observatory Foundation. A Michigan native, Br. Guy taught and researched physics at Harvard and MIT before joining his religious order. However, that was only the beginning of his scientific career. After joining the Vatican Observatory, Br. Guy continued his research on asteroids and meteorites, published numerous scientific papers and books, and even joined a six-week expedition to Antarctica hunting for meteorite samples. In 2000, the International Astronomical Union named Asteroid 4597 Consolmagno in his honor. Br. Guy became known as the “Pope’s Astronomer” in his role as director of the Vatican Observatory, an institution which describes itself as “a Catholic Church-run body doing peer-reviewed astrophysics.” Br. Guy is a witty and inspiring speaker, and I cannot wait for our students to hear about his fascinating research and vocational journey.
It is in many ways fitting that this year’s Gold Mass should be hosted at Bellarmine University – named as we are in honor of St. Robert Bellarmine, another great Jesuit scholar. This semester, Dr. Laura Ping and I are leading an Honors Seminar course on “The Life and Times of St. Robert Bellarmine”, and 15 of our Honors students have been studying the history and writings of our patron saint, including his involvement in the Galileo Affair. In December, our class will travel to Italy for a 10-day study abroad experience, including visits to the Vatican Observatory at Castel Gandolfo and the Galileo Museum of the History of Science in Florence. Through these experiences and hearing from individuals like Br. Guy, our students are seeing a different side of the Church’s relationship with science than is often portrayed. Indeed, the trial of Galileo is often simplistically framed as a conflict between enlightened science and backwards religion. However, our class’ exploration of its real historical context has brought up different questions: What does science actually reveal – especially when data is incomplete or faulty? How much and what kind of evidence should be demanded of new scientific theories? Whose authority is it to interpret matters of science or of religion? In a world of flawed individuals and institutions, where should we place our trust? And how can a person of integrity respond to the controversies of their time?
These are the kind of questions that a Catholic liberal arts and sciences university is uniquely positioned to ask and answer. Instead of treating faith and science as unconnected and incompatible spheres, we can seek to understand both and integrate them into a holistic view of the world and our place in it. Here at Bellarmine, our students wrestle with questions of faith and reason, ethics and technology, from their very first classes in the Core Curriculum. Several of our faculty participate in the local Archdiocese of Louisville Faith and Science Dialogue Group, as well as the international Society of Catholic Scientists. By hosting events like this year’s Gold Mass and last year’s St. Albert Initiative (a faith/science workshop for high school students with record-breaking attendance), I believe Bellarmine University is becoming a leader in these conversations. An education “in the love of truth” – arrived at by both faith and reason – is more important than ever.
The Gold Mass and lecture is open to all, and no advance registration is required. The Mass will be held in Frazier Hall at 6:00 PM on Nov. 15th, followed by a light reception and public lecture by Br. Guy starting around 7:30. For more information about the event, see here: https://therecordnewspaper.org/science-in-the-bluegrass-the-popes-astronomer-is-coming/