Pope Pius XII

In this season of Science and Faith we look at how the successors of Peter, not only as rock of the Church but also as men and individuals, have engaged and dialogued with the fields of science and technology as part of their duty in the complex task of shepherding and illuminating human pursuits in the light of the Catholic Faith.   

Whenever the pontificate of Venerable Pius XII is mentioned (1939-1958) many think of a Pope that shepherded the Church through some of Europe’s most troubling times. However, in this episode, we shed light on a lesser-known side of the Rome-born Pontiff.

Dr Pia Matthews delved into his background and what sparked his lifelong interest in science and technology. Then, we discussed the encyclical Humani Generis and the Lemaitre affair, which preceded a fascinating conversation regarding his contributions to the field of bioethics, including his addresses to lay people in fields such as midwifery, psychiatry, or anaesthesiology.

Dr Matthews explained how Pius XII helped shape Church teaching on issues such as organ transplantation, pain management, end of life care, and euthanasia. If you’d like to find out why William J. Egan, the eighth president of the US-founded Federation of Catholic Physicians’ Guilds, believed Pius XII deserved the title ‘the Pope of Medicine’, press play!

Guest Biography

Dr Pia Matthews studied Law at Trinity College Cambridge, followed by Theology at St John’s Catholic Seminary Wonersh. She then studied for an MA in bioethics and a PhD at St Mary’s University Twickenham. Her doctorate has been validated as a pontifical degree by the Dicastery of Culture and Education. Pia is an academic director and on the formation team at Allen Hall Seminary, Chelsea where she also lectures in Moral Theology, Philosophical Anthropology, Personal Ethics, Bioethics and Marriage and Family Life. She is a senior lecturer at St Mary’s University Twickenham and a faculty member of the Mater Ecclesiae College, the pontifical institute set up by Rome to serve the UK. In 2015 Pope Francis appointed Pia an expert to the synod on the Family and Pia has represented the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales at the Dicastery for Laity and Family Life. Pia has also presented on spirituality, disability and catechesis to the Pontifical Council for Culture and the Pontifical Council for Promoting the New Evangelization. Currently Pia is working with the US National Catholic Partnership on Disability to develop a resource for Catholic theology and disability. Pia has written extensively on healthcare ethics, spirituality, and Catholic theology notably in relation to ethics and persons with profound disabilities. She has also facilitated discussions on theology, education and formation, and the human person, for lay people, teachers and clergy.

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Pope Urban VIII

In this season of Science and Faith we look at how the successors of Peter, not only as rock of the Church but also as men and individuals, have engaged and dialogued with the fields of science and technology as part of their duty in the complex task of shepherding and illuminating human pursuits in the light of the Catholic Faith.   

Often when people think of the relationship between the Church and science, the Galileo Affair comes to mind. But what many people don’t  know is that the 17th century pope at the time of the Galileo affair, Pope Urban VIII, was once friends with Galileo. Historian Thony Christie walked us through some of the Pontificate of Urban VIII. Undoubtedly, we covered the Galileo affair at length, Thony Christie rebutted some commonly held misconceptions around this and also walked us through other aspects of Pope Urban VIII's pontificate. If you want to find out how one goes from heliocentrism to St Joseph of Cupertino and levitation within an hour, press the play button!

Get in touch: [email protected]

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#RMESCIENCEANDFAITH

https://radiomariaengland.uk/extvs_programme/science-and-faith/

Radio Maria broadcasts 24/7 on digital radio (DAB+) in selected regions, the Radio Maria Play app (Europe/England), the website live-player and via a smart speaker. (Digital regions: London, Cambridge, Bristol, South Birmingham, Dudly & Stourbridge, Walsall, Liverpool, Warrington, Cheshire, Greater Manchester, Stockport, Norwich, King’s Lynn and Peterborough.)

If you enjoyed this programme, please consider supporting us with a one-off or monthly donation. It is only through the generosity of our listeners that we are able to be a Christian voice by your side. ⁠⁠www.radiomariaengland.uk⁠⁠

This bonus episode is the cherry on the cake of our very successful universities phase. Marta sits down to chat with Francesca (student from the Durham chaplaincy panel) and Anthony (student form the Leeds chaplaincy panel) about their experience of the event; how they became involved, what they got out of it, and how they hope to continue getting involved in initiatives like ours.

The students from all the university panels will be invited to take part in a 3-day training delivered in partnership with God and the Big Bang (https://gatbb.co.uk). Students will develop skills in the field of science and faith communication to deliver thought-provoking workshops to primary and secondary school students.

On other news, the Science and Faith team will be taking a break from broadcasts for a bit. We hope to be back soon. Thank you to all the listeners and volunteers who have supported this project.

Deus Dat Incrementum.

https://radiomariaengland.uk/chaplaincy-chats-bonus-content-science-and-faith-season-4-ep7/

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We thank ECLAS for their generosity to make our tour to universities possible.

On this episode, we travel up to Scotland and after some delectable haggis and IronBru, we discussed the most appealing aspects of science and faith, the "God of the gaps" argument, and faith-talk in schools and academia.

Our panel included Prof Maria Ubiali and Michael O'Duffin , and two students from the chaplaincy: Paige and Andre.

Biographies

Prof Maria Ubiali read Physics at the Università degli Studi of Milan, in Italy, gaining a First Class Honours degree. In 2006 she moved to Edinburgh to study for a PhD in Theoretical Particle Physics. She obtained a joint doctoral degree from the University of Edinburgh and the Université Catholique de Louvain, Belgium. She then moved to Aachen, Germany, for her first postdoc in 2010. She was awarded a Royal Society Dorothy Hodgkin Research Fellowship in October 2016 and in 2017 became Lecturer in the Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics at the University of Cambridge and Fellow at Newnham College. In 2020 she became Principal Investigator of an ERC grant studying the “Physics beyond the Standard Proton.” Maria is the Sheila Edmonds Lecturer in Mathematics at Newnham. Maria set up and runs Newnham’s Maths Summer School.

Michael O’Duffin studied physics at the university of Edinburgh where he first encountered the Dominicans. He taught physics in the Scottish Borders for two years before moving to St Aloysius’ College, the Jesuit school in Glasgow, where he has spent the rest of his long career. During that time he has been House Master, Assistant Head Master and Head of Physics, a role in which he continues today. He also assists by teaching some Religious Education classes and over the years has been extensively involved in giving Kairos Retreats to senior pupils. He is a member of the Edinburgh Fraternity of Lay Dominicans and is actively involved in the Jesuit parish of St Aloysius in Glasgow. He is married with three sons and has three grandchildren.

Paige de Polo is finishing her PhD on Pantodonts and Andre Theng is doing his PhD in sociolinguistics on how Catholics interact online.

https://radiomariaengland.uk/chaplaincy-chats…ith-season-4-ep6/

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We thank ECLAS for their generosity to make our tour to universities possible.

On this episode we discussed how science and faith have interacted in the lives of our speakers, whether complementing each other or, at times, encountering situations where there might have been some apparent friction between the two.

Our panel of speakers included Julian Hughes and Monika Kondratowicz, as well as two students from the chaplaincy: Sam Wilson and Thomas Doyle.

Biographies

Julian Hughes was a NHS consultant for over 20 years in North Tyneside and Newcastle. He was honorary professor of philosophy of ageing at Newcastle University and subsequently professor in old age psychiatry at the University of Bristol. He qualified in Medicine from Bristol, but studied Philosophy as an undergraduate at Oxford and for his PhD at Warwick. Elected Fellow of both the Royal College of Psychiatrists and the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh, he advised various national and international bodies and was the deputy chair of the Nuffield Council on Bioethics. He remains an honorary professor at Bristol and visiting professor at Newcastle and continues to write philosophically.

Monika obtained her medical degree from the University of Cambridge in 2019 before working as an NHS hospital doctor in Exeter and Birmingham. While an undergraduate she was introduced to the emerging, expanding, and exciting area of molecular genomics and genetic medicine, and was able to contribute to research papers in the field of epigenetics. She would later complete a Master’s degree in Genetics at The University of Exeter and at Cité Université, Paris, France. She has recently returned to England to complete her medical speciality training in histopathology whilst maintaining a research interest in molecular pathology and genomics. Monika is an unpolished amateur autodidact of philosophy, with her readings largely selected from the Classical Canon, Continental Philosophy, and Catholic apologetics.

Sam Wilson is in the 4th year of an MSci in Zoology and Thomas Doyle is a 3rd Year Civil Engineering student.

https://radiomariaengland.uk/chaplaincy-chats…ith-season-4-ep5/

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We thank ECLAS for their generosity to make our tour to universities possible.

On this episode we talked about what happens when we don't find answers to our questions or, indeed, answers that we don't like both in science and our journeys of faith. What can our witness as Catholics be in these situations?

Our panel of speakers included Dr Elizabeth Lam and Dr Wollis Vas and a student from the chaplaincy, Isaac.

Biographies

Dr Elizabeth Lam

Elizabeth is currently a research and development scientist working in a diagnostic medical device company in Cambridge. She obtained her PhD in the field of computational and inorganic chemistry from The University of Hong Kong. Since then, she has been working in industries spanning from analytical laboratory services to new product development. Her passion for connecting science with daily life has prompted her to complete a master's degree in Science Communication, where she has revitalized a blog, Chembites, to digest abstract chemistry journals into simpler language. Attracted by Ignatian Spirituality, she is a permanent committed member (PCM) of the Christian Life Community (CLC). She is also a columnist for a Canton-Catholic magazine in London.

Dr Wollis Vas

Wollis is a Product Manager in the life science and Biotechnology sectors. He has always marvelled at the complexities of human biology and its impact on human health, which he explored during his doctoral studies at UCL. He is keen to understand the underlying philosophical principles of the scientific method, and so explores prominent Catholic teachings on the topic. He enjoys interacting with others who are also on the journey of understanding the synchronicity between science and faith.

Isaac is a Post-Doctoral Research Officer in the School of Computer Science and Electronic Engineering

Resources

Mentioned by Dr Wollis Vas:

https://youtu.be/noj4phMT9OE

https://youtu.be/rXexaVsvhCM

https://radiomariaengland.uk/chaplaincy-chats-bangor-science-and-faith-season-4-ep3/

If you would like to get in touch, email: [email protected]

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We thank ECLAS for their generosity to make our tour to universities possible.

On this episode we talked about science and RE as subjects in schools, what questions students are asking in primary and secondary schools about the compatibility between science and faith, our speakers share some of their experiences growing up in or working in schools, among other topics. Are different disciplines talking to each to each other to make well-rounded students who are able to answer questions from different points of view? Could you be called to becoming a teacher?

Our panel of speakers included Fr Chris Gorton and Matthew Dell and two students from the chaplaincy: Sona and Anthony.

Biographies

Fr Chris Gorton is a priest of Salford Diocese currently in a parish in Bolton. After studying music at Goldsmiths College, London University he trained for the priesthood at Ushaw College, Durham. Whilst there he had the opportunity to study for the theology degree at Durham with students from all different backgrounds. After ordination he was a university chaplain for four years in Manchester for MMU and the RNCM. He also studied for his PGCE at Newman college in Birmingham before working for four years as a team leader at Lancaster Diocese Youth centre and a year in the classroom at St Gabriel’s, Bury. After chaplaincy he was twelve years in a parish in Pendle,  East Lancashire and throughout his time in ministry has been involved in the primary and secondary schools in the parish and helped with training for teachers within the diocese, youth ministry and parish development within the department for formation in the diocese.

Matthew Dell is a senior lecturer at St Mary’s University (Twickenham, London), course lead for the MA Education.  Prior to taking up this post five years ago, he worked for twenty-five years as an RE teacher in three different schools.  Alongside vast experience of being Head of RE he has been heavily involved as an RE inspector within the Catholic sector.  In recent years he has been collaborating with colleagues to create a new professional association for those who teach RE in Catholic schools (Association of Teachers of Catholic RE – ACTRE).

Sona is a 2nd Year Dentistry student.

Anthony is doing a PhD in Biology (honey bees specifically!)

https://radiomariaengland.uk/chaplaincy-chats-leeds-science-and-faith-season-4-ep3/

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We thank ECLAS for their generosity to make our tour to universities possible.

Our panel of speakers included Prof Stephen Bullivant and two students from the chaplaincy: Caterina and Sean. Caterina is completing a PhD in Epidemiology and Sean is training to become a doctor.

On this episode we tackled questions around suffering and faith. What should our response as Catholics be in the face of suffering? Why does a good God permit evil? Prof Stephen Bullivant, Caterina and Sean speak to these questions from their experience and enrich the conversation with perspectives from their own fields.

Prof Stephen Bullivant is Professor of Theology and the Sociology of Religion at St Mary's University, Twickenham, and Professorial Research Fellow in Theology and Sociology at the University of Notre Dame, Sydney. He holds doctorates in theology (Oxford, 2009) and sociology (Warwick, 2019).

His most recent books include Catholicism in the Time of Coronavirus (Word on Fire, 2020) The Cambridge History of Atheism (CUP, 2021; with M. Ruse), and Catholicisim in Contemporary Britain: Faith, Society, Politics (OUP, 2022; with B. Clements). Due out early next year are:Nonverts: The Making of Ex-Christian America, and Vatican II: A Very Short Introduction (with S. Blanchard), both with Oxford University Press.

https://radiomariaengland.uk/chaplaincy-chats-london-science-and-faith-season-4-ep2/

If you would like to get in touch, email: [email protected]

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We thank ECLAS for their generosity to make our tour to universities possible

The second leg of the RME Faith Journeys in Science's tour got off to a great start at Durham University's Catholic Chaplaincy on October 23rd. After our round of events at parishes in England, we will be visiting Catholic University Chaplaincies across the UK. Our goal was to unveil how science and faith have interacted in the lives of Catholics working in some capacity in the fields of science and religion. At Durham, we had a very interesting conversation about making use of scientific data without losing your soul, how faith influences your professional conduct, among other topics.

Our panel of speakers included Dr Gavin Jarvis, Dr Aleksandra Svalova and two students from the chaplaincy: Ola and Francesca (left to right). Ola is an Engineering student and Francesca is a Physics student.

Dr Gavin Jarvis was born in Liverpool. He attended St Mary’s College, Crosby before heading to Queens’ College, Cambridge where he studied Veterinary Medicine and completed a PhD in platelet pharmacology. Subsequently, he has worked in both industry and academia including four years in drug discovery at AstraZeneca: the project eventually resulted in the approval of the antiplatelet drug ticagrelor (Brilique®). He has taught pharmacology and statistics to medics, vets, pharmacists and scientists at the Universities of Cambridge, Oxford and Belfast and is currently Associate Professor of Analytical Pharmacology at the new Medical School at Sunderland University. In addition to his research on platelets, he has a long-standing interest in bioethics and has published several papers on human embryonic mortality. He is a Governor of the Anscombe Bioethics Centre, a Catholic bioethics research institute serving the Church in the UK and Ireland. In his spare time he sings, especially in comic operettas!

Dr Aleksandra Svalova has remained in Newcastle University since the start of her undergraduate studies in Statistics in 2010. She has a PhD in Petroleum Geochemistry and Natural and Environmental Sciences (2014-2019). Subsequently, re-joined the Statistics department in 2019 as a research associate and became a lecturer in 2022. Dr Svalova is interested in statistical surrogate models with applications to engineering/scientific problems.

https://radiomariaengland.uk/chaplaincy-chats…ith-season-4-ep1

If you would like to get in touch, email: [email protected]

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We thank ECLAS for their generosity to make our tour to universities possible.

Parish: St Bartholomew’s, St Albans, Hertfordshire

Science and Faith on Tour - Season 3 - Faith Journeys in Science - Ep7

Speakers include Professor Jim McManus and Professor Daniela de Angelis. Jim is a Generation Q Fellow, Director of Public Health at Hertfordshire County Council and Interim President of the Association of Directors of Public Health. Jim is Lead for Population Health for the Hertfordshire and West Essex Integrated Care System and is an Honorary Vice-President of the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health. Jim is a Chartered Psychologist, Chartered Scientist and Fellow of the British Psychological Society.  He led ADPH policy work on local outbreak plans and covid-19 suppression including ADPH ‘Living Safely with Covid’ policy papers. Jim co-created the national public mental health collaborative for Covid-19 and co-chaired the national review of suicide prevention plans in England. He has just completed three years as Chair of the Behavioural Science and Public Health Network and was a co-author of the National Strategy for Behavioural Science in Public Health. He was a member of the national Faith Taskforce on Covid and is a member of the Oversight Group for the National HIV Strategy.  Daniela is Professor of Statistical Science for Health at the University of Cambridge in the Department of Primary Care and Public Health, Deputy Director and Programme Leader at the Medical Research Council Biostatistics Unit (MRC-BSU). At the BSU, Daniela has overall responsibility for the research theme “Statistical methods Using data Resources to improve Population Health” and leads the research programme on ‘Evidence synthesis to inform population health-related decision making’. Daniela has over 25 years of experience of working at the interface between statistics and infectious disease epidemiology, focusing on the development of statistical methods for the characterisation of epidemics, including natural history, burden and prediction of future evolution, informing the implementation and evaluation of public health policies. Daniela is member of a number of local/national/international scientific advisory groups such as NICE, WHO, and UNAIDS and collaborates widely with health agencies nationally and internationally. She is also currently a member of SPI-M (Scientific Pandemic Influenza Advisory Committee, subgroup on Modelling), which reports into SAGE; member of the Modelling and Analytics Board for the NHSx Covid 19 App; and member of the Royal Statistical Society Task Force for Covid-19. Daniela also recently won the University of Cambridge Vice-Chancellor Award for Impact and Engagement, in the Established Academic category.