Pope Leo XIV has appointed Goan Jesuit Fr Richard Anthony D’Souza as Director of the Vatican Observatory.
Fr D’Souza (47), who has a doctorate in astronomy, has been a staff member since 2016 at the Observatory, one of the oldest astronomical observatories in the world.
A statement released by the Vatican Governorate on Thursday noted that “with this appointment, Pope Leo XIV has confirmed the succession process that had been underway before the death of Pope Francis.”
When contacted, Fr D’Souza told The Goan that he is “very honoured to be appointed by Pope Leo XIV as the next Director of the Vatican Observatory.”
“On one hand, I am aware of the many high-profile Jesuits who have held this position in the past and have paved the way for the Observatory’s success today: I am truly standing on the shoulders of giants.”
“On the other hand, I understand the great responsibility entrusted to me of guiding the Vatican Observatory at this critical time, so that the Specola continues to serve the Pope and the Universal Church, promoting the dialogue between faith and science, through solid scientific research.”
Fr D’Souza, succeeds Br Guy Consolmagno, S.J., whose mandate expires on September 19, 2025.
Commenting on the appointment of Fr D’Souza, Br Consolmagno stated, “I am delighted that His Holiness has chosen Fr D’Souza to be the next director of the Vatican Observatory. I know that Fr D’Souza has the vision and wisdom to carry the Observatory forward during this time of rapid change in astronomical research, especially given his experience with space telescopes and advanced computational techniques.”
Fr D’Souza has published in numerous international scientific journals and is a member of several international collaborations. He is a member of the International Astronomical Union and has recently had an asteroid named after him.
While originally from Pilerne, his parents had settled in Mapusa. Fr Richard D'Souza SJ was born in 1978 in Pune, and his initial school years were spent in Kuwait. From 1990, he moved back to Goa, and studied at St Britto High School, Mapusa.
After finishing his schooling, he entered the Society of Jesus in 1996, and completed his graduation in Physics at St Xaviers' College in Mumbai in 2002, before proceeding for his Masters in Physics to the University of Heidelberg, where he worked at the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy for his thesis work.
He returned to Pune in 2005 to complete a Bachelors degree in Philosophy. In 2007, he founded and ran the St. Paul's Community College in Belgaum to help school dropouts find gainful employment. He was ordained a priest in 2011, having studied philosophy and theology at Jnana Deepa, Pune.
After finishing his Bachelors in Theology in 2011 in Pune, he returned to Goa and ran a popular theology programme for the laity called "Deepen Your Faith".
In 2012, he started his doctoral studies in Astronomy at the Max Planck Institute for Astrophysics, in Garching, Munich, graduating in 2016.
In 2016, he formally joined the staff of the Vatican Observatory as well started at the same time a postdoc at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.
In 2019, he moved to the headquarters of the Vatican Observatory in Castel Gandolfo. Since 2022, he has been serving as the Superior of the Jesuit community attached to the Vatican Observatory.
