On July 2, Pope Francis sent a video message to La scienza per la pace [Science for Peace], a virtual meeting sponsored by the University of Teramo (Italy) and the Diocese of Teramo-Atri.

Stating that “there cannot and must not be any opposition between faith and science,” Pope Francis said that “no scientific knowledge should stand alone and believe it is self-sufficient. Historical reality is increasingly becoming a single reality and needs to be served in the plurality of knowledge.”

“You, dear friends of science, are entrusted with the task of bearing witness to the possibility of constructing a new social bond,” he continued, “committing yourselves to making scientific research close to the whole community . . . and showing that together it is possible to overcome every conflict.”