Particle.news
Download on the App Store
4 ARTICLES
·
8h ago

Pope Leo XIV Visits Vatican Observatory and Calls Buzz Aldrin on Apollo 11 Anniversary

The visit underscores the Vatican’s long tradition of integrating astronomical research with religious outreach.

A gust of wind blows Pope Leo XIV's mantel at the end of the noon Angelus prayer in the square in front of the Apostolic Palace in Castel Gandolfo, Italy, Sunday, July 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)
Leo has revived the papal tradition of holidaying at Castel Gandolofo, seat of the Observatory.

Overview

  • Pope Leo XIV made his first tour of the Vatican Observatory at Castel Gandolfo during the 56th anniversary of the moon landing.
  • He phoned 95-year-old Buzz Aldrin, now the last living Apollo 11 astronaut, and bestowed a personal blessing on him and his family.
  • In a post on X, the pontiff described the moon landing as a testament to human ingenuity and reflected on the “mystery and greatness of Creation.”
  • Founded in 1891, the observatory houses a leading meteorite collection and hosts a summer school for clerics and astronomy students.
  • The outreach follows papal precedents dating to Pope Paul VI’s 1969 radio message to Apollo 11 and Pope Benedict XVI’s 2011 call to the International Space Station.