The Church and science, Part 3

In the last post, we discussed some notable people and developments in the history of Church and science.  In this post, we will focus on contemporary evidence of a respectful and fruitful relationship between the Church and science.

First off, there is the existence in Rome of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences.  This was founded in 1936 by Pope Pius XI.   It draws on many of the world's leading scientists, including many Nobel Laureates, to act as advisors to the Popes on scientific issues. The Academy has an international membership which includes British physicist Stephen Hawking. 

Under the protection of the reigning Pope, the aim of the Academy is to promote the progress of the mathematical, physical and natural sciences and the study of related epistemological problems.  The statutes of 1976 express its goal: "The Pontifical Academy of Sciences has as its goal the promotion of the progress of the mathematical, physical, and natural sciences, and the study of related epistemological questions and issues."

The Academy and its membership are not to be influenced by factors of a national, political, or even religious character.  Learned people of good will, regardless of any religious affiliation, are able to be members.  Therefore, it represents a valuable source of objective scientific information which is made available to the Holy See and to the international scientific community.

Today the work of the Academy covers six main areas: fundamental science, the science and technology of global questions and issues, science in favor of the problems of the Third World, the ethics and politics of science, bioethics and epistemology.  The disciplines involved are sub-divided into eight fields: the disciplines of physics and related disciplines; astronomy; chemistry; the earth and environmental sciences; the life sciences (botany, agronomy, zoology, genetics, molecular biology, biochemistry, the neurosciences, surgery); mathematics; the applied sciences; and the philosophy and history of sciences.

Pope John Paul II had this to say about the Academy in 1979.  His words speak to the overall relationship of faith and science.  (I have bolded some of the more noteworthy passages.)

The existence of this Pontifical Academy of Sciences, of which in its ancient ancestry Galileo was a member and of which today eminent scientists are members, without any form of ethnic or religious discrimination, is a visible sign, raised amongst the peoples of the world, of the profound harmony that can exist between the truths of science and the truths of faith.... The Church of Rome together with all the Churches spread throughout the world attributes a great importance to the function of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences. The title of 'Pontifical' given to the Academy means, as you know, the interest and the commitment of the Church, in different forms from the ancient patronage, but no less profound and effective in character.... How could the Church have lacked interest in the most noble of the occupations which are most strictly human – the search for truth?

Both believing scientists and non-believing scientists are involved in deciphering the palimpsest of nature which has been built in a rather complex way, where the traces of the different stages of the long evolution of the world have been covered over and mixed up. The believer, perhaps, has the advantage of knowing that the puzzle has a solution, that the underlying writing is in the final analysis the work of an intelligent being, and that thus the problem posed by nature has been posed to be solved and that its difficulty is without doubt proportionate to the present or future capacity of humanity. This, perhaps, will not give him new resources for the investigation engaged in. But it will contribute to maintaining him in that healthy optimism without which a sustained effort cannot be engaged in for long.

His successor, Pope Benedict XVI, had this to say to the Academy in 2012.  His entire comments are worth highlighting in my opinion!

Dialogue and cooperation between faith and science are urgently needed for building a culture that respects people and the planet... Without faith and science informing each other "the great questions of humanity leave the domain of reason and truth, and are abandoned to the irrational, to myth, or to indifference, with great damage to humanity itself, to world peace and to our ultimate destiny.... (As people strive to) unlock the mysteries of man and the universe, I am convinced of the urgent need for continued dialogue and cooperation between the worlds of science and of faith in building a culture of respect for man, for human dignity and freedom, for the future of our human family and for the long-term sustainable development of our planet.

Another example of the respect the Church has for science is the existence of the Vatican Observatory.   As we mentioned last post, the Church has a long history of interest in astronomy due to the astronomical basis on which the Church calendar is maintained.  This observatory is located 16 miles away from the Vatican, at Castel Gandolfo, where the Papal summer residence is located.  There is also an auxiliary station in Arizona.  Its current director is Brother Guy Consolmagno.  He is known as the “Pope’s astronomer”.  He became the first religious brother to be awarded the American Astronomical Society's Carl Sagan Medal for Excellence in Public Communication in Planetary Science in 2014. The judges described Consolmagno as "the voice of the juxtaposition of planetary science and astronomy with Christian belief, a rational spokesperson who can convey exceptionally well how religion and science can co-exist for believers.”  Consalmagno describes science as an "act of worship ... a way of getting close to creation, to really getting intimate with creation, and it's a way of getting intimate with the creator.”

The final evidence I will offer is all around us at our Catholic schools and universities.   Science is taught at all levels of Catholic education.  It is a requirement at many of her higher level institutions, even for non-majors.  I am sure many of you could name someone you know associated with science who is also a devout believer.  There are a few Catholic science teachers among my Facebook friends, and to you, I say thank you!

Hopefully, these posts so far have shown that the Church is in no way opposed to science. Science, really, should not see the Church or religion in general, as an adversary, and vice versa.  The world works best when there is mutual respect between the two.   Faith and reason must go together; if one or the other is absent, the individual, and therefore the world, is missing something precious.

We discussed in the first post what the Catechism has to say about science. We got a glimpse in this post, when discussing the Papal Academy, some Papal teaching regarding the relationship between faith and science.  In the next post, we will discuss in more detail Papal teaching throughout the years regarding faith, reason, and science.