October 30, 2009. The pope has opened the doors of his home to astronomers around the world who gathered in Rome to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the first telescope observations made by Galileo Galilei.


Benedict XVI
"The International Year of Astronomy is meant not least to recapture for people throughout our world the extraordinary wonder and amazement which characterized the great age of discovery in the sixteenth century.”

To mark the International Year of Astronomy, the Pope says knowledge of the universe should inspire people to admire God and the love for what he created.

Benedict also said that on this year dedicated to Astronomy he seeks to emphasize the mutual collaboration between faith and reason.

The audience with the Pope is part of the congress organized by the Vatican Observatory a place that has brought the world's leading astronomers to the Eternal City.

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