Lunatic Writer's Blog

Guy Consolmagno & the Vatican Observatory

3/31/2013

Brother Guy--A Jesuit and research astronomer--echoes my feelings about the relationship between science and religion very eloquently. At one point he reminds listeners that Scripture says: "God so loved the world that he gave us his Son." Brother Guy emphasizes the fact that it is the "world" that God loves, the physical, real, rational, open-for-investigation world. We are part of this world and, like God himself, are expected to love it. Hence science. Hence environmentalism. Hence all charity and love. Amen.

Br. Consolmagno and part of the Vatican meteorite collection, courtesy Kevin Nickerson

(Originally broadcast on CBC's Quirks and Quarks on April 15, 2006)

Science and religion are often seen in conflict, but that's something Brother Guy Consolmagno would like to put behind us. He's certainly put it behind him. Brother Guy is the Curator of Meteorites of the Vatican Observatory in Arizona, and an accomplished planetary scientist, and he sees no tension at all between his science and his religion. He also thinks many scientists with religious beliefs feel the same way. The conflict, he suspects, is a result of people who know too little about both science and religion.

Click BELOW for the CBC interview with Brother Guy and learn what the Roman Catholic Church really thinks about science.

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VATT--the Vatican Observatory, near Tucson, Arizona.

Ready for more? Here what the Vatican Observatory's chief astronomer, Jose Gabriel Funes has to say about the possible existence of
extra-terrestrial intelligence.

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The Defense of Robert Sproule

1/10/2013

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Theodore Davie, younger brother to A.E.B. Davie, followed in his brother's footsteps, becoming both lawyer and politician. Generally, A.E.B. argued for the prosecution and Theodore for the Defense.

In the 1884 appeal heard before Chief Justice Begie in regards to the dispute of mining claims at Big Ledge, Theodore had originally agreed to represent Sproule and his party. Unfortunately, Theodore was called away at the last minute on pressing government business, leaving Sproule with some lesser light to argue his case. In Theodore's absence, Sproule might well have had his heart set on Baillie-Grohman's representation. After all, Grohman had successfully defended his interests before Gold Commissioner Kelly a year earlier. But Grohman too was unavailable, away on one of his many trips to England early in 1884.

In the end, Theodore Davie was able to represent Sproule but, this time, defending him on a murder charge. Starting on December 2, 1885, Theodore Davie faced off against his brother, then Attorney-General of the province, in what was regarded as one of the most high profile cases ever to be argued in a British Columbia court.

Even after Sproule's conviction, Theodore continued to represent Sproule, traveling as far as Ottawa, seeking a re-trial or, at worst, a commutation of the death sentence.

Originally Sproule had been sentenced to be hanged on January 5, 1885. Thanks to a long list of appeals, legal wranglings and last minute reprieves, Sproule's sentence was not carried out until October 29, 1886.

In 1889, Theodore Davie became Attorney-General , and went on to become premier himself in 1892. He resigned from that office three years later to become Chief Justice, succeeding the legendary Matthew Baillie Begbie.

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Robert Sproule & the Crown

1/8/2013

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Alexander Edmund Batson Davie: there's a mouthful. Davie street in downtown Vancouver is named after him. He was the first man to receive his entire law education in British Columbia. He was elected to the legislature in1875 at the tender age of twenty-eight. In 1882, he was appointed the province's attorney general.

In 1885 A.E.B. Davie (as he preferred to be known) was the natural choice to represent the Crown in the high profile Sproule murder case due to take place in Victoria.

And who would represent Sproule? A.E.B.'s brother, Theodore, obviously! More about him later.

A.E.B. went on to become the eighth premier of the province in 1887. He fell desperately ill soon after and moved to California to recuperate. From there he carried on the business of government by correspondence (the postal service must have been more reliable back then).

A.E.B. returned to Victoria in 1888 but never did fully recuperate. He died while in office the following year.

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Guy Consolmagno & the Vatican Observatory

Click BELOW for the CBC interview with Brother Guy and learn what the Roman Catholic Church really thinks about science.

VATT--the Vatican Observatory, near Tucson, Arizona.

The Defense of Robert Sproule

Robert Sproule & the Crown

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