Catholic Apostolate Center

Test Faith and Science Resources

Please click one of the buttons below for Faith and Science resources.
My blog primer thing here introducing the resources and everything

Official Church Documents

Blog introduction here at the top of the page

Major Documents

Speeches and Homilies, organized by Pope

POPE FRANCIS
POPE BENedict XVI 
POPE JOHN PAUL II
POPE PAUL VI 
POPE John XXIII 
POPE PIUS XII
POPE PIUS XI
POPE LEO XIII ​

Catechism of the Catholic Church

Knowledge and the ultimate questions
31. Created in God's image and called to know and love him, the person who seeks God discovers certain ways of coming to know him. These are also called proofs for the existence of God, not in the sense of proofs in the natural sciences, but rather in the sense of "converging and convincing arguments", which allow us to attain certainty about the truth. These "ways" of approaching God from creation have a twofold point of departure: the physical world, and the human person
32. The world: starting from movement, becoming, contingency, and the world's order and beauty, one can come to a knowledge of God as the origin and the end of the universe.
​As St. Paul says of the Gentiles: «For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. Ever since the creation of the world his invisible nature, namely, his eternal power and deity, has been clearly perceived in the things that have been made» (Rm 1:19-20; cfr. also Act 14,15.17; 17,27-28; Wis 13:1-9).
​And St. Augustine issues this challenge: “Question the beauty of the earth, question the beauty of the sea, question the beauty of the air distending and diffusing itself, question the beauty of the sky.  question all these realities. All respond: See, we are beautiful. Their beauty is a profession [confessio]. These beauties are subject to change. Who made them if not the Beautiful One [Pulcher] who is not subject to change?” (Sermones, 241, 2: PL 38, 1134).
33. The human person: with his openness to truth and beauty, his sense of moral goodness, his freedom and the voice of his conscience, with his longings for the infinite and for happiness, man questions himself about God's existence. In all this he discerns signs of his spiritual soul. the soul, the seed of eternity we bear in ourselves, irreducible to the merely material, can have its origin only in God.
34. The world, and man, attest that they contain within themselves neither their first principle nor their final end, but rather that they participate in Being itself, which alone is without origin or end. Thus, in different ways, man can come to know that there exists a reality which is the first cause and final end of all things, a reality “that everyone calls God”.
39. In defending the ability of human reason to know God, the Church is expressing her confidence in the possibility of speaking about him to all men and with all men, and therefore of dialogue with other religions, with philosophy and science, as well as with unbelievers and atheists.
159. Faith and science: “Though faith is above reason, there can never be any real discrepancy between faith and reason. Since the same God who reveals mysteries and infuses faith has bestowed the light of reason on the human mind, God cannot deny himself, nor can truth ever contradict truth” (Vatican Council I, Dei Filius, DH 3017). “Consequently, methodical research in all branches of knowledge, provided it is carried out in a truly scientific manner and does not override moral laws, can never conflict with the faith, because the things of the world and the things of faith derive from the same God. the humble and persevering investigator of the secrets of nature is being led, as it were, by the hand of God in spite of himself, for it is God, the conserver of all things, who made them what they are” (Gaudium et spes, n. 36).
2500. The practice of goodness is accompanied by spontaneous spiritual joy and moral beauty. Likewise, truth carries with it the joy and splendor of spiritual beauty. Truth is beautiful in itself. Truth in words, the rational expression of the knowledge of created and uncreated reality, is necessary to man, who is endowed with intellect. But truth can also find other complementary forms of human expression, above all when it is a matter of evoking what is beyond words: the depths of the human heart, the exaltations of the soul, the mystery of God. Even before revealing himself to man in words of truth, God reveals himself to him through the universal language of creation, the work of his Word, of his wisdom: the order and harmony of the cosmos - which both the child and the scientist discover - "from the greatness and beauty of created things comes a corresponding perception of their Creator", "for the author of beauty created them" (Wis 13:3).
Creation

Catechesis on Creation

282. Catechesis on creation is of major importance. It concerns the very foundations of human and Christian life: for it makes explicit the response of the Christian faith to the basic question that men of all times have asked themselves: “Where do we come from?” “Where are we going?” “What is our origin?” “What is our end?” “Where does everything that exists come from and where is it going?” The two questions, the first about the origin and the second about the end, are inseparable. They are decisive for the meaning and orientation of our life and actions.
283. The question about the origins of the world and of man has been the object of many scientific studies which have splendidly enriched our knowledge of the age and dimensions of the cosmos, the development of life-forms and the appearance of man. These discoveries invite us to even greater admiration for the greatness of the Creator, prompting us to give him thanks for all his works and for the understanding and wisdom he gives to scholars and researchers. With Solomon they can say: “It is he who gave me unerring knowledge of what exists, to know the structure of the world and the activity of the elements… for wisdom, the fashioner of all things, taught me” (Wis 7:17-21).
284. The great interest accorded to these studies is strongly stimulated by a question of another order, which goes beyond the proper domain of the natural sciences. It is not only a question of knowing when and how the universe arose physically, or when man appeared, but rather of discovering the meaning of such an origin: is the universe governed by chance, blind fate, anonymous necessity, or by a transcendent, intelligent and good Being called “God.” And if the world does come from God's wisdom and goodness, why is there evil? Where does it come from? Who is responsible for it? Is there any liberation from it?
285. Since the beginning the Christian faith has been challenged by responses to the question of origins that differ from its own. Ancient religions and cultures produced many myths concerning origins. Some philosophers have said that everything is God, that the world is God, or that the development of the world is the development of God (Pantheism). Others have said that the world is a necessary emanation arising from God and returning to him. Still others have affirmed the existence of two eternal principles, Good and Evil, Light and Darkness, locked, in permanent conflict (Dualism, Manichaeism). According to some of these conceptions, the world (at least the physical world) is evil, the product of a fall, and is thus to be rejected or left behind (Gnosticism). Some admit that the world was made by God, but as by a watch-maker who, once he has made a watch, abandons it to itself (Deism). Finally, others reject any transcendent origin for the world, but see it as merely the interplay of matter that has always existed (Materialism). All these attempts bear witness to the permanence and universality of the question of origins. This inquiry is distinctively human.

Purpose of Creation

295. We believe that God created the world according to his wisdom. It is not the product of any necessity whatever, nor of blind fate or chance. We believe that it proceeds from God's free will; he wanted to make his creatures share in his being, wisdom and goodness.
296. We believe that God needs no pre-existent thing or any help in order to create, nor is creation any sort of necessary emanation from the divine substance. God creates freely “out of nothing.”
302. Creation has its own goodness and proper perfection, but it did not spring forth complete from the hands of the Creator. The universe was created “in a state of journeying” (in statu viae) toward an ultimate perfection yet to be attained, to which God has destined it. We call «divine providence» the dispositions by which God guides his creation toward this perfection. 
306. God is the sovereign master of his plan. But to carry it out he also makes use of his creatures' co-operation. This use is not a sign of weakness, but rather a token of almighty God's greatness and goodness. For God grants his creatures not only their existence, but also the dignity of acting on their own, of being causes and principles for each other, and thus of co-operating in the accomplishment of his plan.
310. But why did God not create a world so perfect that no evil could exist in it? With infinite power God could always create something better. But with infinite wisdom and goodness God freely willed to create a world “in a state of journeying” towards its ultimate perfection. In God's plan this process of becoming involves the appearance of certain beings and the disappearance of others, the existence of the more perfect alongside the less perfect, both constructive and destructive forces of nature. With physical good there exists also physical evil as long as creation has not reached perfection.

Ordering of Creation

​338. Nothing exists that does not owe its existence to God the Creator. the world began when God's word drew it out of nothingness; all existent beings, all of nature, and all human history are rooted in this primordial event, the very genesis by which the world was constituted and time begun (cf. St. Augustine, De Genesi contra Manichaeos, 1, 2, 4: PL 35, 175).
339. Each creature possesses its own particular goodness and perfection. For each one of the works of the “six days” it is said: “And God saw that it was good.” “By the very nature of creation, material being is endowed with its own stability, truth and excellence, its own order and laws” (Gaudium et spes, 36). Each of the various creatures, willed in its own being, reflects in its own way a ray of God's infinite wisdom and goodness. Man must therefore respect the particular goodness of every creature, to avoid any disordered use of things which would be in contempt of the Creator and would bring disastrous consequences for human beings and their environment.
340. God wills the interdependence of creatures. The sun and the moon, the cedar and the little flower, the eagle and the sparrow: the spectacle of their countless diversities and inequalities tells us that no creature is self-sufficient. Creatures exist only in dependence on each other, to complete each other, in the service of each other.
341. The beauty of the universe: the order and harmony of the created world results from the diversity of beings and from the relationships which exist among them. Man discovers them progressively as the laws of nature. They call forth the admiration of scholars. the beauty of creation reflects the infinite beauty of the Creator and ought to inspire the respect and submission of man's intellect and will.
Ethical questions in Science
1723. The beatitude we are promised confronts us with decisive moral choices. It invites us to purify our hearts of bad instincts and to seek the love of God above all else. It teaches us that true happiness is not found in riches or well-being, in human fame or power, or in any human achievement – however beneficial it may be – such as science, technology, and art, or indeed in any creature, but in God alone, the source of every good and of all love. 
2292. Scientific, medical, or psychological experiments on human individuals or groups can contribute to healing the sick and the advancement of public health.
2293. Basic scientific research, as well as applied research, is a significant expression of man’s dominion over creation. Science and technology are precious resources when placed at the service of man and promote his integral development for the benefit of all. By themselves however they cannot disclose the meaning of existence and of human progress. Science and technology are ordered to man, from whom they take their origin and development; hence they find in the person and in his moral values both evidence of their purpose and awareness of their limits.
2294. It is an illusion to claim moral neutrality in scientific research and its applications. On the other hand, guiding principles cannot be inferred from simple technical efficiency, or from the usefulness accruing to some at the expense of others or, even worse, from prevailing ideologies. Science and technology by their very nature require unconditional respect for fundamental moral criteria. They must be at the service of the human person, of his inalienable rights, of his true and integral good, in conformity with the plan and the will of God.
2295. Research or experimentation on the human being cannot legitimate acts that are in themselves contrary to the dignity of persons and to the moral law. the subjects' potential consent does not justify such acts. Experimentation on human beings is not morally legitimate if it exposes the subject's life or physical and psychological integrity to disproportionate or avoidable risks. Experimentation on human beings does not conform to the dignity of the person if it takes place without the informed consent of the subject or those who legitimately speak for him.
2296. Organ transplants are in conformity with the moral law if the physical and psychological dangers and risks incurred by the donor are proportionate to the good sought for the recipient. Donation of organs after death is a noble and meritorious act and is to be encouraged as a manifestation of generous solidarity. It is not morally acceptable if the donor or those who legitimately speak for him have not given their explicit consent.
It is furthermore morally inadmissible directly to bring about the disabling mutilation or death of a human being, even in order to delay the death of other persons.
2301. Autopsies can be morally permitted for legal inquests or scientific research. The free gift of organs after death is legitimate and can be meritorious. The Church permits cremation, provided that it does not demonstrate a denial of faith in the resurrection of the body.
2314. “Every act of war directed to the indiscriminate destruction of whole cities or vast areas with their inhabitants is a crime against God and man, which merits firm and unequivocal condemnation.” A danger of modern warfare is that it provides the opportunity to those who possess modern scientific weapons especially atomic, biological, or chemical weapons – to commit such crimes.
2417. God entrusted animals to the stewardship of those whom he created in his own image. Hence it is legitimate to use animals for food and clothing. They may be domesticated to help man in his work and leisure. Medical and scientific experimentation on animals is a morally acceptable practice, if it remains within reasonable limits and contributes to caring for or saving human lives.
2727. We must also face the fact that certain attitudes deriving from the mentality of “this present world” can penetrate our lives if we are not vigilant. For example, some would have it that only that is true which can be verified by reason and science; yet prayer is a mystery that overflows both our conscious and unconscious lives. Others overly prize production and profit; thus prayer, being unproductive, is useless. Still others exalt sensuality and comfort as the criteria of the true, the good, and the beautiful; whereas prayer, the “love of beauty” (philokalia), is caught up in the glory of the living and true God. Finally, some see prayer as a flight from the world in reaction against activism; but in fact, Christian prayer is neither an escape from reality nor a divorce from life.

Other Faith and Science Resources
Blog introduction here at the top

Other Resources

Catholic Scientist Saints and Blesseds

Blog introduction here at the top of the page
St. Albert the Great

St. Albert the Great

Dates: 1200-1280
Feast Day: November 15
Patronage: Scientists, Philosophers, and the Natural Sciences
Location: Germany
Feast Day Website Link
​
St. Albert the Great is remembered for many contributions in the Medieval Church, including teaching St. Thomas Aquinas, being the first to extensively utilize the writings of Aristotle in his works, and incorporating the scientific thought from Greeks and Arabs into the European university system. As a scientist, he focused on the approach to his experiments, not just writing the final results, especially in his botany work. 
St. GIuseppe moscati

​St. Giuseppe Moscati

Dates: 1880-1927
Feast Day: November 16
Patronage: Biochemistry and Doctors
Location: Italy
Feast Day Website Link
​
St. Giuseppe Moscati was a medical doctor and researcher. Besides his daily medical work, he went out of his way to care for those in crisis, like those suffering after the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 1906, or those impacted by the cholera epidemic in 1911. Giuseppe Moscati was also known for his biomedical research, taking what he learned in the clinic and researching techniques to better help his patients. His research led to key discoveries in both the administration of insulin in diabetes and in properly diagnosing the kidney disease nephritis.
St. hildegard of bingen

​St. Hildegard of Bingen

​Dates: 1098-1179
Feast Day: September 17 
Location: Germany (Holy Roman Empire)
Feast Day Website Link
​
St. Hildegard of Bingen is a well-known abbess, mystic, and theologian who made countless scientific contributions that became foundational for years to come. She was involved in helping cure ill sisters, and Hildegard would track the remedies, as well as what were potential causes of the illness. This observational and experimental approach was a forerunner of the Scientific Method and led to many discoveries centuries in the future.
st. gianna molla

St. Gianna Molla

​Dates: 1922-1962
Feast Day: April 28
Patronage: Mothers, Physicians, and Unborn Children
Location: Italy
Feast Day Website Link
​
St. Gianna Molla was an Italian medical doctor who strove to follow Catholic teaching in all aspects of her medical career, from how she treated her patients to ethical treatments. She strove to give care to everyone, regardless of their ability to pay, and spent her free time caring for those who most needed medical care but could least afford it, especially the elderly. She is a model for all doctors today. 
St. jose gabriel del rosario brochero

St. ​Jose Gabriel del Rosario Brochero

​Dates: 1840-1914
Feast Day: January 26
Patronage: Córdoba, Argentina
Location: Argentina
​
St. ​Jose Gabriel del Rosario Brochero was a priest in rural Argentina. While he had little formal medical training, he recognized the interconnectedness of physical and spiritual help, helping the poor and sick of his community receive the physical care they needed as well as spiritual care. Fr. Brochero's parish covered an immense rural area, but he would not let distance deter him and he would go to each community to care for his parishioners. Today, he can be a example for us to care for both physical and spiritual needs, as well as a model for working in rural, hard-to-reach areas. 
Bl. nicholas steno

Bl. Nicholas Steno

​Dates: 1638-1686
Feast Day: December 5
Patronage: Geosciences
Location: Denmark
Feast Day Website Link
​
Bl. Nicholas Steno made essential contributions in anatomy, geology, and crystallography. In anatomy, he was fascinated by the tear duct, leading to the discovery and naming of Stensen's duct (based on his Danish name). He also made key discoveries in heart and muscle structure that would advance anatomy research in future decades. In crystallography, Bl. Nicholas Steno identified the repeating angles made by units in a crystal, a key discovery for the field of crystal structures today. Bl. Nicholas Steno is perhaps most famous for his work in geology. He established the core laws of stratigraphy, how rock layers form, which became essential for studying fossils and ancient history. 
Bl. francesco faa di bruno

Bl. ​Francesco Faà di Bruno

​Dates: 1825-1888
Feast Day: March 27
Location: Italy
Feast Day Website Link
​
Bl. ​Francesco Faà di Bruno published over 40 papers on his mathematical research and theories, mostly about elliptic functions and elimination theory. He is also remembered for Faà di Bruno's formula, a complex formula for higher derivatives in calculus. Throughout his life he also taught and mentored; many of his students became famous Italian mathematicians around the turn of the century. During his mathematical studies, he became a priest and established refuges for the poor and elderly, continuing both his research and his outreach ministries. 
bl. hermann of reichenau

Bl. ​Hermann of Reichenau

​Dates: 1013-1054
Feast Day: September 24 
Location: Germany
​
Bl. ​Hermann of Reichenau was born with severe physical disabilities, but he did not let in interfere with his sharp intellect. While he had limited ability to speak or walk, he wrote countless treatises. In addition to writing about math and astronomy, Hermann wrote extensively about music: the history of music, the math behind music, the biology of music. His leadership and mentorship began a strong intellectual tradition that lasted for centuries at his Benedictine monastery in Germany. 
bl. sandra sabattini

Bl. ​Sandra Sabattini

​Dates: 1961-1984
Feast Day: May 4
Patronage: Youth
Location: Italy
Feast Day Website Link
​
Bl. Sandra Sabattini was studying to become a missionary doctor when she tragically died in 1984. She saw the importance of using her medical knowledge to care for those most in need, so she wanted to serve in Africa once she became a doctor, and on her weekends she would serve in local drug rehabilitation clinics. Bl. Sandra can be a modern-day role model for all doctors and scientists, showing us how to use our skills to benefit those most in need in today's world. 
bl. benedetta bianchi porro

Bl. ​Benedetta Bianchi Porro

​Dates: 1936-1964
Feast Day: January 23
Location: Italy
Feast Day Website Link
​
Bl. ​Benedetta Bianchi Porro was an aspiring doctor when symptoms from her childhood bout with polio made it impossible for her to continue her studies. As devastating as this was, Bl. Benedetta continued all that she could to care for others even as her own body was failing. She recognized the need to bring the Good News to her friends from medical school, evangelizing instead of wallowing. May we learn from Bl. Benedetta that God is always calling us to evangelize, even in situations where it seems especially difficult. 
Bl. Jose Gregorio Hernandez

Bl. ​José Gregorio Hernández

​Dates: 1864-1919
Feast Day: October 26
Patronage: Doctors and Medical Students
Location: Venezuela
​
Bl. ​José Gregorio Hernández was born in a small village in Venezuela but was persistent in following his calling to become a doctor. Throughout his education and practice as a doctor he believed that research and medicine played essential, interconnected roles. He strove to understand fields such as bacteriology, pathology, and microbiology to better understand and treat his patients. However, he did not let his education distance him from his patients, instead always focusing on helping the poorest in his community, believing that everyone deserved medical care. 
bl. laSzlo batthyany-strattmann

Bl. ​László Batthyány-Strattmann

​Dates: 1870-1931
Feast Day: January 22
Location: Austria and Hungary
​
Bl. ​László Batthyány-Strattmann was born into a wealthy, noble family, and upon completion of his medical studies he could have taken an easy job doctoring for other nobility. Instead, he used his resources to provide extensive medical care. He turned one of his father's castles into one of the first hospitals in rural Hungary and would pay for his patients prescriptions out of his own wealth. As the demand for his care grew, he expanded how much of his own wealth he poured into his care, especially in caring for wounded in World War I and helping rural villagers recovering from the after-effects of World War I. 
Ven. jerome lejeune

Ven. ​Jérôme Lejeune

​Dates: 1926-1998
Location: France
​
Ven. ​Jérôme Lejeune was a French pediatrician and geneticist who is well-known for his research connecting chromosome abnormalities to diseases. Prior to his research, chromosomal abnormalities were not studied in regard to disease, but in 1958, Ven. Jerome discovered that Down Syndrome is caused by three copies of chromosome 21, whereas normal is two copies (today known as trisomy 21). Ven. Jerome also discovered the chromosomal basis of cri du chat syndrome. His discoveries connecting chromosomal abnormalities to diseases was an essential discovery that has lead to countless further genetic discoveries in the work toward cures for these and other diseases. 
Ven. eusebio kino

Ven. ​Eusebio Kino

​Dates: 1645-1711
Location: Italy then North America
​
After spending his whole life in Europe, Ven. Eusebio Kino came to North America as a Jesuit missionary. Upon arriving, he recognized the need for detailed maps to understand the territory in the Western New World, today the western United States and Mexico. At the time, the prevailing thought was that California was separated from the rest of continent, but Ven. Eusebio Kino proved this to be not true, as well creating many of the main maps for the western part of the continent. He also established over 20 missions, many of which developed into major Catholic communities and eventually major cities today. 

More Resources

© COPYRIGHT 2026 | ALL RIGHTS RESERVED