The Vatican Observatory serves as a bridge between science and the Catholic Church.  Studies involving science, philosophy and theology have formed an explicit part of the Observatory's activity since its founding.

Through the pursuit of scientific understanding of the universe, something of the Creator of the universe is discovered.  Faith and science are not irreconcilable.  Pope John Paul II said this, and Pope Benedict XVI has reaffirmed it.  Faith and reason are the two wings on which the human spirit takes flight.

There is no contradiction between what we know through our faith and what we can learn through science.  In fact, the sciences, especially astronomy, cosmology and biology make tremendous contributions to faith and theology.  Our knowledge of the universe and of nature enriches and nourishes faith and our understanding of God.

The Church, therefore, does not fear science and its discoveries.  Rather, through the work of her scientists, she engages in the discoveries and is a significant voice in understanding them.

Pope John Paul II pointed this out in a letter to Fr. George Coyne, SJ, then Director of the Vatican Observatory, in June 1, 1988:

The Vatican Observatory Foundation actively supports the continued dialogue between faith and science by funding the Vatican Advanced Technology Telescope and educational presentations around the world which challenge us to think about humanity in the context of the universe.

Giovanni Cardinal Lajolo talks about Faith and Science at Steward Observatory