Pope's scientist to speak at closing of Philippines 'Season of Creation'

A Vatican scientist is set to speak about "faith and science" in an online conference marking the culmination activities of the Philippines'  celebration of the “Season of Creation.”

An article on church-run CBCP news site said that Jesuit Br. Guy Consolmagno, the Vatican Observatory’s current director, will join a keynote discussion on “Earth: Our Common Home” at 9 a.m. on Oct. 4, the feast of St. Francis of Assisi, the patron of ecology.

Organizers said the online conference "will be a gathering of different fields “to discuss and commit for the betterment of our planet.”

“This gathering aims to build up the camaraderie between meteorology, astronomy, geology, environment, and other advocacy groups and move forward as one for the protection and sustainable development of our common home,” they said.

In September 2015, Pope Francis appointed him as the new head of the Vatican Observatory, which is based at the pope’s summer residence south of Rome.

An asteroid, “4597 Consolmagno,” was named in recognition of his work by the International Astronomical Union in 2000, the article said.

The online conference is sponsored by Living Laudato Sì Philippines, and Earth Shaker, an organization that aims to “shake” the appreciation of earth sciences in the society and empower citizens to make science-based decisions. —LBG, GMA News