Papa Leo XIV appoints P. Richard Anthony D’Ouza Vatican Observatory

Pope Leo XIV has appointed Fr. Richard Anthony D’O -Souza, 47 -year -old Jesuit priest, new director of the Vatican Observatory.

Known too Vatican Specolathe Vatican Astronomical Observatory – one of the oldest in the world located in Castel Gandolfo – is an astronomical research institution that depends on the Holy See.

The new mandate of Fr. Richard, until now Astrophysicist of the institution, will be effective as of September 19 of this year, replacing Brother Guy Consolmagno, who held this position since 2015.

Brother Consolmagno will continue as an astronomer and will also maintain his position as president of the Specla Vatican Foundation, based in Tucson, Arizona (United States).

In statements a Vatican Newshighlighted the “vision and wisdom” of the new director, especially “because of his experience with space telescopes and advanced computer techniques.”

Born in Goa (India), Fr. D’Ouza was raised in a Christian family. He entered the Society of Jesus in 1996 and was ordered priest in 2011, after studying philosophy and theology in Jnana Deepa, in Pune (India).

As the official Vatican media collects, the Jesuit has a degree in Physics by St. Xavier’s College of the University of Mumbai, a Master in Physics from the University of Heidelberg (Germany), a doctorate in astronomy from the University Ludwig Maximilian de Munich and also a postdoctoral program at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Ann Arbor, Ann Arbor.

He has been a staff of the Vatican Observatory since 2016 and has held the position of Superior of the Jesuit community in the Observatory since 2022.

His work in Specola VaticanA focuses on the phenomenon of galaxies mergers and their effects on the Milky Way. He collaborates with international scientific journals and is a member of the International Astronomical Union. In addition, an asteroid has recently been baptized with its name.