Spanish
Leo XIV appealed this Monday to continue exploring "the knowledge of the cosmos" and the universe, and encouraged research to "build a more peaceful and just world", in a speech to students and academics participating in the Astrophysics Summer School promoted by the Vatican Observatory.
"May this experience of living and studying together not only be academically and personally enriching, but also allow us to forge friendships and forms of collaboration that help the progress of science at the service of our one human family," said the American pontiff.
The pope told them that their scientific and research activity "benefits everyone", and asked them "to be generous" and "to share what they learn and experience, as best they can and how they can".
"The more joy you share, the more joy you will create, and thus, through your pursuit of knowledge, each one will be able to contribute to building a more peaceful and just world," he asserted.
Likewise, he highlighted the theme of this summer school edition, based on exploring the universe with the James Webb Space Telescope.
"Thanks to this truly extraordinary instrument, for the first time we can deeply observe the atmosphere of exoplanets, where life could be developing, and study the nebulae where planetary systems themselves are formed," he added.
"With Webb, we can even trace the ancient light of distant galaxies, which tells us about the very origin of our universe," he remarked.
He also asserted that "all participants of the Summer School have received the necessary knowledge and training to use this famous instrument" with the goal of "expanding our knowledge of the cosmos, of which we are a small but significant part".
