Pope Leo XIV commemorated the 56th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing on Sunday with a visit to the Vatican Observatory in Castel Gandolfo and a personal phone call to astronaut Buzz Aldrin.

After delivering the Sunday Angelus at his summer retreat, the pontiff toured the historic observatory, founded in 1891 by Pope Leo XIII, where he explored telescopes and engaged with astronomers and students at the facility’s summer school. The observatory, rooted in a 1582 calendar reform commission established by Pope Gregory XIII, is renowned for its world-class meteorite collection, including Martian fragments.

Later, Pope Leo XIV called Buzz Aldrin, one of the first humans to walk on the moon in 1969 alongside Neil Armstrong and Michael Collins. “This evening, 56 years after the Apollo 11 moon landing, I spoke with astronaut Buzz Aldrin,” the pope shared on X. “We reflected on human ingenuity and the greatness of Creation.” He concluded the call by blessing Aldrin, his family, and collaborators.

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The Vatican’s engagement with space exploration has historical precedent. In 2011, Pope Benedict XVI contacted the International Space Station to discuss environmental concerns, and in 1969, Pope Paul VI sent a radio message to the Apollo 11 crew, hailing them as “conquerors of the Moon.”

Pope Leo XIV’s observatory visit and call to Aldrin underscore the Vatican’s ongoing commitment to bridging faith and scientific exploration, celebrating humanity’s cosmic achievements while reflecting on the divine mysteries of the universe.

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