A senior Vatican astronomer is making a special visit to a Hampstead church to talk about science and religion.
Brother Guy Consolmagno SJ, director of the Vatican Observatory, will be at St Mary's Church, in Holly Walk, on Sunday (February 12) at 4pm.
In the free talk, The Heavens Proclaim: Astronomy and the Vatican, Br Guy is set to explore the relationship between science and religion.
The Jesuit priest is an American research astronomer with a PhD in planetary science, a physicist, author and also president of the Vatican Observatory Foundation.
Br Guy said: "I’m delighted to be speaking at St Mary’s, I’ve heard it’s a beautiful church. And I have a number of friends in the area whom I’m looking forward to seeing as well."
The roots of the Vatican Observatory go back to the Gregorian reform of the calendar in 1582 and it has been part of an extensive history of the church support for astronomy.
"The main theme of my talk is just to remind people that science is a great way of getting to know God the creator," he added.
"Too often people have been fed this idea that science and religion are opposed but if you think about it that’s really a pretty ridiculous thought.
"Science began in the medieval universities. Belief in God as creator who says that creation is good, gives us the courage to think that the universe makes sense and that it is worth studying.
"And the joy we experience when we make scientific discoveries is a sign to me that God is there cheering us on as we get to see how He does things."
Mary Stanier, St Mary's adminstrator, said: "We're delighted that Br Guy Consolmango will deliver his talk in person. For us it's very important that we show just because we have faith, we are not creationists.
"The first person who first discovered the Big Bang was a Catholic priest from Belgium, it wasn't Stephen Hawking.
"He [the Belgian priest] worked together closely with people like Einstein but didn't give up his faith because he was a man of science."
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