[转载]天主教神职人员中的科学家们
2014-07-18 09:59阅读：
基督教是现代科学之母,
没有基督教就没有现代科学。这个论题可以从许多不同的方面来阐述。从历史事实的角度看，那么大约可以从下面三个历史事实推出这个结论：
1）现代科学的奠基人基本上都是基督徒（加上少部分犹太人）；2）历史悠久的世界著名大学的前身都是天主教修道院或者新教神学院；3）直至现在，只有在基督教文化圈才有真正意义上的科学研究。
作为这些历史事实的一个侧面，下面转贴一个英文维基上面所列的一个天主教神职人员中所涌现的伟大的科学家们的一个不完全的名单。大约数了一下，共有233位。他们中许多人处于被称为黑暗世纪（the
dark ages）的中世纪(the middle ages, 约主后500 -
1500）。也有处于现代的科学家们。他们大多是神父或者修道院教士、或者教廷神职人员。其中最早的是出生于1013年的Hermann
of Reichenau
(1013–1054)。他身兼历史学家、神学家和天文学家多重身份。最近的是出生于1963年的天文学家
José Gabriel Funes (Jesuit astronomer and
current director of the Vatican Observatory）。
因为名单较长，没有翻译，以后若有时间再说吧。
List of Roman Catholic cleric–scientists
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Roman_Catholic_cleric–scientists
Many Roman Cat
holic clerics[1] throughout history have made significant
contributions to science. These cleric-scientists include such
illustrious names as Nicolaus Copernicus, Gregor Mendel, Georges
Lemaître, Albertus Magnus, Roger Bacon, Pierre Gassendi, Roger
Joseph Boscovich, Marin Mersenne, Francesco Maria Grimaldi, Nicole
Oresme, Jean Buridan, Robert Grosseteste, Christopher Clavius,
Nicolas Steno, Athanasius Kircher, Giovanni Battista Riccioli,
William of Ockham, and others listed below. The Catholic Church has
also produced many lay scientists and mathematicians.
The Jesuits in particular have made numerous significant
contributions to the development of science. For example, the
Jesuits have dedicated significant study to earthquakes, and
seismology has been described as 'the Jesuit science.'[2][3] The
Jesuits have been described as 'the single most important
contributor to experimental physics in the seventeenth century.'[4]
According to Jonathan Wright in his book God's Soldiers, by the
eighteenth century the Jesuits had 'contributed to the development
of pendulum clocks, pantographs, barometers, reflecting telescopes
and microscopes, to scientific fields as various as magnetism,
optics and electricity. They observed, in some cases before anyone
else, the colored bands on Jupiter’s surface, the Andromeda nebula
and Saturn’s rings. They theorized about the circulation of the
blood (independently of Harvey), the theoretical possibility of
flight, the way the moon effected the tides, and the wave-like
nature of light.'[5]
A
Lorenzo Albacete (1941) Priest physicist and
theologian
José de Acosta (1539–1600) – Jesuit missionary and naturalist
who wrote one of the very first detailed and realistic descriptions
of the new world
François d'Aguilon (1567–1617) – Belgian Jesuit
mathematician, physicist, and architect.
Albert of Saxony (philosopher) (c. 1320–1390) – German bishop
known for his contributions to logic and physics; with Buridan he
helped develop the theory that was a precursor to the modern theory
of inertia[6]
Albertus Magnus (c. 1206–1280) – Dominican friar and Bishop
of Regensberg who has been described as 'one of the most famous
precursors of modern science in the High Middle Ages.'[7] Patron
saint of natural sciences; Works in physics, logic, metaphysics,
biology, and psychology.
Giulio Alenio (1582-1649) - Jesuit theologian, astronomer and
mathematician. He was sent to the Far East as a missionary and
adopted a Chinese name and customs. He wrote 25 books including a
cosmography and a Life of Jesus in Chinese.
José María Algué (1856–1930) – Priest and meteorologist who
invented the barocyclonometer
José Antonio de Alzate y Ramírez (1737–1799) – Priest,
scientist, historian, cartographer, and meteorologist who wrote
more than thirty treatises on a variety of scientific
subjects
Francesco Castracane degli Antelminelli (1817–1899) – Priest
and botanist who was one of the first to introduce microphotography
into the study of biology
Giovanni Antonelli (1818–1872) – Priest and director of the
Ximenian Observatory of Florence who also collaborated on the
design of a prototype of the internal combustion
engine
Nicolò A
rrighetti (1709–1767) – Jesuit who wrote treatises on light,
heat, and electricity.
Giuseppe Asclepi (1706–1776) – Jesuit astronomer and
physician who served as director of the Collegio Romano
observatory; The lunar crater Asclepi is named after
him.
B
Roger Bacon (c. 1214–1294) – Franciscan friar who made
significant contributions to mathematics and optics and has been
described as a forerunner of modern scientific method.
Bernardino Baldi (1533–1617) – Abbot, mathematician, and
writer
Eugenio Barsanti (1821–1864) – Piarist who is the possible
inventor of the internal combustion engine
Bartholomeus Amicus (1562–1649) – Jesuit wrote on philosophy,
mathematics, astronomy, and the concept of vacuum and its
relationship with God.
Daniello Bartoli (1608–1685) – Bartoli and fellow Jesuit
astronomer Niccolò Zucchi are credited as probably having been the
first to see the equatorial belts on the planet
Jupiter
Joseph Bayma (1816–1892) – Jesuit known for work in
stereochemistry and mathematics
Giacopo Belgrado (1704–1789) – Jesuit professor of
mathematics and physics and court mathematician who did
experimental work in physics
Mario Bettinus (1582–1657) – Jesuit philosopher,
mathematician and astronomer; lunar crater Bettinus named after
him
Giuseppe Biancani (1566–1624) – Jesuit astronomer,
mathematician, and selenographer, after whom the crater Blancanus
on the Moon is named
Jacques de Billy (1602–1679) – Jesuit who has produced a
number of results in number theory which have been named after him;
published several astronomical tables; The crater Billy on the Moon
is named after him.
Paolo Boccone (1633–1704) – Cistercian botanist who
contributed to the fields of medicine and toxicology
Bernard Bolzano (1781–1848) – Priest, mathematician, and
logician whose other interests included metaphysics, ideas,
sensation, and truth.
Anselmus de Boodt (1550–1632) – Canon who was one of the
founders of mineralogy
Theodoric Borgognoni (1205–1298) – Domincan friar, Bishop of
Cervia, and medieval Surgeon who made important contributions to
antiseptic practice and anaesthetics
Christopher Borrus (1583–1632) – Jesuit mathematician and
astronomy who made observations on the magnetic variation of the
compass
Roger Joseph Boscovich (1711–1787) – Jesuit polymath known
for his contributions to modern atomic theory and
astronomy
Joachim Bouvet (1656–1730) – Jesuit sinologist and
cartographer who did his work in China
Michał Boym (c. 1612–1659) – Jesuit who was one of the first
westerners to travel within the Chinese mainland, and the author of
numerous works on Asian fauna, flora and geography.
Thomas Bradwardine (c. 1290–1349) – Archbishop of Canturbury
and mathematician who helped develop the mean speed theorem; one of
the Oxford Calculators
Henri Breuil (1877–1961) – Priest, archaeologist,
anthropologist, ethnologist and geologist.
Jan Brożek (1585–1652) – Polish canon, polymath,
mathematician, astronomer, and physician; the most prominent Polish
mathematician of the 17th century
Louis-Ovide Brunet (1826–1876) – Priest who was one of the
founding fathers of Canadian botany
Francesco Faà di Bruno (c. 1825–1888) – Priest and
mathematician beatified by Pope John Paul II
Ismaël Bullialdus (1605–1694) – Priest, astronomer, and
member of the Royal Society; the Bullialdus crater is named in his
honor
Jean Buridan (c. 1300 – after 1358) – Priest who formulated
early ideas of momentum and inertial motion and sowed the seeds of
the Copernican revolution in Europe
Roberto Busa (1913-2011) - Jesuit wrote a lemmatization of
the complete works of St. Thomas Aquinas (Index Thomisticus) which
was later digitalized by IBM.
C
Niccolò Cabeo (1586–1650) – Jesuit mathematician; the crater
Cabeus is named in his honor
Nicholas Callan (1799–1846) – Priest & Irish scientist
best known for his work on the induction coil
Jean Baptiste Carnoy (1836–1899) – Priest who has been called
the founder of the science of cytology
Giovanni di Casali (died c. 1375) – Franciscan friar who
provided a graphical analysis of the motion of accelerated
bodies
Paolo Casati (1617–1707) – Jesuit mathematician who wrote on
astronomy and vacuums; The crater Casatus on the Moon is named
after him.
Laurent Cassegrain (1629–1693) – Priest who was the probable
namesake of the Cassegrain telescope; The crater Cassegrain on the
Moon is named after him
Benedetto Castelli (1578–1643) – Benedictine mathematician;
long-time friend and supporter of Galileo Galilei, who was his
teacher; wrote an important work on fluids in motion
Bonaventura Cavalieri (1598–1647) – Jesuate known for his
work on the problems of optics and motion, work on the precursors
of infinitesimal calculus, and the introduction of logarithms to
Italy. Cavalieri's principle in geometry partially anticipated
integral calculus; the lunar crater Cavalerius is named in his
honor
Antonio José Cavanilles (1745–1804) – Priest and leading
Spanish taxonomic botanist of the 18th century
Francesco Cetti (1726–1778) – Jesuit zoologist and
mathematician
Tommaso Ceva (1648–1737) – Jesuit mathematician and professor
who wrote treatises on geometry, gravity, and
arithmetic
Christopher Clavius (1538–1612) – Respected Jesuit Astronomer
and mathematician who headed the commission that yielded the
Gregorian calendar; wrote influential astronomical
textbook.
Guy Consolmagno (1952– ) – Jesuit astronomer and planetary
scientist
Nicolaus Copernicus (1473–1543) –Renaissance astronomer and
canon famous for his heliocentric cosmology that set in motion the
Copernican Revolution
Vincenzo Coronelli (1650–1718) – Franciscan cosmographer,
cartographer, encyclopedist, and globe-maker
George Coyne (1933– ) – Jesuit astronomer and former director
of the Vatican Observatory
James Cullen (mathematician) (1867–1933) – Jesuit
mathematician who published what is now known as Cullen numbers in
number theory
James Curley (astronomer) (1796–1889) – Jesuit who was the
first director of Georgetown Observatory and determined the
latitude and longitude of Washington D.C.
Albert Curtz (1600–1671) – Jesuit astronomer who expanded on
the works of Tycho Brahe and contributed to early understanding of
the moon; The crater Curtius on the Moon is named after
him.
Johann Baptist Cysat (1587–1657) – Jesuit mathematician and
astronomer, after whom the lunar crater Cysatus is named; published
the first printed European book concerning Japan; one of the first
to make use of the newly developed telescope; most important work
was on comets
Jean-Baptiste Chappe d'Auteroche (1722-1769) - Priest and
astronomer best known for his observations of the transits of
Venus
D
Ignazio Danti (1536–1586) – Dominican mathematician,
astronomer, cosmographer, and cartographer
Armand David (1826–1900) – Lazarist priest, zoologist, and
botanist who did important work in these fields in
China
Francesco Denza (1834–1894) – Barnabite meteorologist,
astronomer, and director of Vatican Observatory
Václav Prokop Diviš (1698–1765) – Czech priest who studied
the lightning rod independent of Franklin and constructed the first
electrified musical instrument in history
Johann Dzierzon (1811–1906) – Priest and pioneering apiarist
who discovered the phenomenon of parthenogenesis among bees, and
designed the first successful movable-frame beehive; has been
described as the 'father of modern apiculture'
F
Francesco Faà di Bruno (c. 1825–1888) – Priest and
mathematician beatified by Pope John Paul II
Honoré Fabri (1607–1688) – Jesuit mathematician and
physicist
Jean-Charles de la Faille (1597–1652) – Jesuit mathematician
who determined the center of gravity of the sector of a circle for
the first time
Gabriele Falloppio (1523–1562) – Canon and one of the most
important anatomists and physicians of the sixteenth century. The
Fallopian tubes, which extend from the uterus to the ovaries, are
named for him.
Gyula Fényi (1845–1927) – Jesuit astronomer and director of
the Haynald Observatory; noted for his observations of the sun; The
crater Fényi on the Moon is named after him
Louis Feuillée (1660–1732) – Minim explorer, astronomer,
geographer, and botanist
Placidus Fixlmillner (1721–1791) – Benedictine priest and one
of the first astronomers to compute the orbit of
Uranus
Paolo Frisi (1728–1784) – Priest, mathematician, and
astronomer who did significant work in hydraulics
José Gabriel Funes (1963– ) – Jesuit astronomer and current
director of the Vatican Observatory
G
Joseph Galien (1699 – c. 1762) – Dominican professor who
wrote on aeronautics, hailstorms, and airships
Jean Gallois (1632–1707) – French scholar, abbot, and member
of Academie des sciences
Pierre Gassendi (1592–1655) – French priest, astronomer, and
mathematician who published the first data on the transit of
Mercury; best
known intellectual project attempted to reconcile Epicurean
atomism with Christianity
Agostino Gemelli (1878–1959) – Franciscan physician and
psychologist; founded Catholic University of the Sacred Heart in
Milan
Johannes von Gmunden (c. 1380–1442) – Canon, mathematician,
and astronomer who compiled astronomical tables; Asteroid 15955
Johannesgmunden named in his honor
Carlos de Sigüenza y Góngora (1645–1700) – Priest, polymath,
mathematician, astronomer, and cartographer; drew the first map of
all of New Spain
Andrew Gordon (Benedictine) (1712–1751) – Benedictine monk,
physicist, and inventor who made the first electric
motor
Christoph Grienberger (1561–1636) – Jesuit astronomer after
whom the crater Gruemberger on the Moon is named; verified
Galileo's discovery of Jupiter's moons.
Francesco Maria Grimaldi (1618–1663) – Jesuit who discovered
the diffraction of light (indeed coined the term 'diffraction'),
investigated the free fall of objects, and built and used
instruments to measure geological features on the moon
Robert Grosseteste (c. 1175 – 1253) – Bishop who was one of
the most knowledgeable men of the Middle Ages; has been called 'the
first man ever to write down a complete set of steps for performing
a scientific experiment.'[8]
Paul Guldin (1577–1643) – Jesuit mathematician and astronomer
who discovered the Guldinus theorem to determine the surface and
the volume of a solid of revolution
Bartolomeu de Gusmão (1685–1724) – Jesuit known for his early
work on lighter-than-air airship design
Johann Georg Hagen (1847–1930) – Jesuit director of the
Georgetown and Vatican Observatories; The crater Hagen on the Moon
is named after him
H
Nicholas Halma (1755–1828) – French abbot, mathematician, and
translator
Jean-Baptiste du Hamel (1624–1706) – French priest, natural
philosopher, and secretary of the Academie Royale des
Sciences
René Just Haüy (1743–1822) – Priest known as the father of
crystallography
Maximilian Hell (1720–1792) – Jesuit astronomer and director
of the Vienna Observatory; the crater Hell on the Moon is named
after him.
Michał Heller (1936– ) – Priest, Templeton Prize winner, and
prolific writer on numerous scientific topics
Lorenz Hengler (1806–1858) – Priest often credited as the
inventor of the horizontal pendulum
Hermann of Reichenau (1013–1054) – Benedictine historian,
music theorist, astronomer, and mathematician
Pierre Marie Heude (1836–1902) – Jesuit missionary and
zoologist who studied the natural history of Eastern
Asia
Franz von Paula Hladnik (1773–1844) – Priest and botanist who
discovered several new kinds of plants, and certain genera have
been named after him
Giovanni Battista Hodierna (1597–1660) – Priest and
astronomer who catalogued nebulous objects and developed an early
microscope
Victor-Alphonse Huard (1853–1929) – Priest, naturalist,
educator, writer, and promoter of the natural sciences
I
Maximus von Imhof (1758–1817) – German Augustinian physicist
and director of the Munich Academy of Sciences
Giovanni Inghirami (1779–1851) – Italian Piarist astronomer
who has a valley on the moon named after him as well as a
crater
J
François Jacquier (1711–1788) – Franciscan mathematician and
physicist; at his death he was connected with nearly all the great
scientific and literary societies of Europe
Stanley Jaki (1924–2009) – Benedictine priest and prolific
writer who wrote on the relationship between science and
theology
Ányos Jedlik (1800–1895) – Benedictine engineer, physicist,
and inventor; considered by Hungarians and Slovaks to be the unsung
father of the dynamo and electric motor
K
Georg Joseph Kamel (1661–1706) – Jesuit missionary and
botanist who established the first pharmacy in the
Philippines
Otto Kippes (1905–1994) – Priest acknowledged for his work in
asteroid orbit calculations; the main belt asteroid 1780 Kippes was
named in his honour
Athanasius Kircher (1602–1680) – Jesuit who has been called
the father of Egyptology and 'Master of a hundred arts'; wrote an
encyclopedia of China; one of the first people to observe microbes
through a microscope
Wenceslas Pantaleon Kirwitzer (1588–1626) – Jesuit astronomer
and missionary who published observations of comets
Jan Krzysztof Kluk (1739–1796) – Priest, naturalist
agronomist, and entomologist who wrote a multi-volume work on
Polish animal life
Marian Wolfgang Koller (1792–1866) – Benedictine professor
who wrote on astronomy, physics, and meteorology
Franz Xaver Kugler (1862–1929) – Jesuit chemist,
mathematician, and Assyriologist who is most noted for his studies
of cuneiform tablets and Babylonian astronomy
L
Nicolas Louis de Lacaille (1713-1762) - French deacon and
astronomer noted for cataloguing stars, nebulous objects, and
constellations
Eugene Lafont (1837–1908) – Jesuit physicist, astronomer, and
founder of the first Scientific Society in India
Antoine de Laloubère (1600–1664) – Jesuit and first
mathematician to study the properties of the helix
Bernard Lamy (1640–1715) – Oratorian philosopher and
mathematician who wrote on the parallelogram of forces
Pierre André Latreille (1762–1833) – Priest and entomologist
whose works describing insects assigned many of the insect taxa
still in use today
Georges Lemaître (1894–1966) – Priest and father of the Big
Bang Theory
Thomas Linacre (c. 1460–1524) – English priest, humanist,
translator, and physician
Francis Line (1595–1675) – Jesuit magnetic clock and sundial
maker who disagreed with some of the findings of Newton and
Boyle
Juan Caramuel y Lobkowitz (1606–1682) – Cistercian who wrote
on a variety of scientific subjects, including probability
theory
M
Jean Mabillon (1632–1707) – Benedictine monk and scholar,
considered the founder of palaeography and diplomatics
James B. Macelwane (1883–1956) – 'The best-known Jesuit
seismologist' and 'one of the most honored practicioners of the
science of all time'; wrote the first textbook on seismology in
America.
John MacEnery (1797-1841) - Archaeologist who investigated
the Palaeolithic remains at Kents Cavern
Paul McNally (1890–1955) – Jesuit astronomer and director of
Georgetown Observatory; the crater McNally on the Moon is named
after him.
Pierre Macq (1930– ) – Priest and physicist who was awarded
the Francqui Prize on Exact Sciences for his work on experimental
nuclear physics
Manuel Magri (1851–1907) – Jesuit ethnographer, archaeologist
and writer; one of Malta's pioneers in archaeology
Emmanuel Maignan (1601–1676) – Minim physicist and professor
of medicine who published works on gnomonics and
perspective
Charles Malapert (1581–1630) – Jesuit writer, astronomer, and
proponent of Aristotelian cosmology; also known for observations of
sunpots and of the lunar surface, and the crater Malapert on the
Moon is named after him
Nicolas Malebranche (1638–1715) – Oratorian philosopher who
studied physics, optics, and the laws of motion and disseminated
the ideas of Descartes and Leibniz
Marcin of Urzędów (c. 1500–1573) – Priest, physician,
pharmacist, and botanist
Joseph Maréchal (1878–1944) – Jesuit philosopher and
psychologist
Marie-Victorin (1885–1944) – Christian Brother and botanist
best known as the father of the Jardin botanique de
Montréal
Edme Mariotte (c. 1620–1684) – Priest and physicist who
recognized Boyle's Law and wrote about the nature of
color
Francesco Maurolico (1494–1575) – Benedictine who made
contributions to the fields of geometry, optics, conics, mechanics,
music, and astronomy, and gave the first known proof by
mathematical induction
Christian Mayer (astronomer) (1719–1783) – Jesuit astronomer
most noted for pioneering the study of binary stars
Gregor Mendel (1822–1884) – Augustinian monk and father of
genetics
Pietro Mengoli (1626–1686) – Priest and mathematician who
first posed the famous Basel Problem
Giuseppe Mercalli (1850–1914) – Priest, volcanologist, and
director of the Vesuvius Observatory who is best remembered today
for his Mercalli scale for measuring earthquakes which is still in
use
Marin Mersenne (1588–1648) – Minim philosopher,
mathematician, and music theorist who is often referred to as the
'father of acoustics'
Paul of Middelburg (1446–1534) – Bishop of Fossombrone who
wrote important works on the reform of the calendar
Maciej Miechowita (1457–1523) – Canon who wrote the first
accurate geographical and ethnographical description of Eastern
Europe, as well as two medical treatises
François-Napoléon-Marie Moigno (1804–1884) – Jesuit physicist
and mathematician; was an expositor of science and translator
rather than an original investigator
Juan Ignacio Molina (1740–1829) – Jesuit naturalist,
historian, botanist, ornithologist and geographer
Louis Moréri (1643–1680) – 17th century priest and
encyclopaedist
Théodore Moret (1602–1667) – Jesuit mathematician and author
of the first mathematical dissertations ever defended in Prague;
the lunar crater Moretus is named after him.
Landell de Moura (1861–1928) – Priest and inventor who was
the first to accomplish the transmission of the human voice by a
wireless machine
Gabriel Mouton (1618–1694) – Abbot, mathematician,
astronomer, and early proponent of the metric system
Jozef Murgaš (1864–1929) – Priest who contributed to wireless
telegraphy and help develop mobile communications and wireless
transmission of information and human voice
José Celestino Mutis (1732–1808) – Canon, botanist, and
mathematician who led the Royal Botanical Expedition of the New
World
N
Jean François Niceron (1613–1646) – Minim mathematician who
studied geometrical optics
Nicholas of Cusa (1401–1464) – Cardinal, philosopher, jurist,
mathematician, astronomer, and one of the great geniuses and
polymaths of the 15th century
Julius Nieuwland (1878–1936) – Holy Cross priest, known for
his contributions to acetylene research and its use as the basis
for one type of synthetic rubber, which eventually led to the
invention of neoprene by DuPont
Jean-Antoine Nollet (1700–1770) – Abbot and physicist who
discovered the phenomenon of osmosis in natural
membranes.
O
Hugo Obermaier (1877–1946) – Priest, prehistorian, and
anthropologist who is known for his work on the diffusion of
mankind in Europe during the Ice Age, as well as his work with
north Spanish cave art
William of Ockham (c. 1288 – c. 1348) – Franciscan Scholastic
who wrote significant works on logic, physics, and theology; known
for Ockham's Razor
Nicole Oresme (c. 1323–1382) – One of the most famous and
influential philosophers of the later Middle Ages; economist,
mathematician, physicist, astronomer, philosopher, theologian and
Bishop of Lisieux, and competent translator; one of the most
original thinkers of the 14th century
Barnaba Oriani (1752–1832) – Barnabite geodesist, astronomer
and scientist whose greatest achievement was his detailed research
of the planet Uranus, and is also known for Oriani's
theorem
P
Luca Pacioli (c. 1446–1517) – Franciscan friar who published
several works on mathematics and is often regarded as the Father of
Accounting
Ignace-Gaston Pardies (1636–1673) – Jesuit physicist known
for his correspondence with Newton and Descartes
Franciscus Patricius (1529–1597) – Priest, cosmic theorist,
philosopher, and Renaissance scholar
John Peckham (1230–1292) – Archbishop of Canterbury and early
practitioner of experimental science
Nicolas Claude Fabri de Peiresc (1580–1637) – Abbot and
astromer who discovered the Orion Nebula; lunar crater Peirescius
named in his honor
Stephen Joseph Perry (1833–1889) – Jesuit astronomer and
Fellow of the Royal Society; made frequent observations of
Jupiter's satellites, of stellar occultations, of comets, of
meteorites, of sun spots, and faculae
Giambattista Pianciani (1784–1862) – Jesuit mathematician and
physicist
Giuseppe Piazzi (1746–1826) – Theatine mathematician and
astronomer who discovered Ceres, today known as the largest member
of the asteroid belt; also did important work cataloguing
stars
Jean Picard (1620–1682) – Priest and first person to measure
the size of the Earth to a reasonable degree of accuracy; also
developed what became the standard method for measuring the right
ascension of a celestial object; The PICARD mission, an orbiting
solar observatory, is named in his honor
Edward Pigot (1858–1929) – Jesuit seismologist and
astronomer
Alexandre Guy Pingré (1711–1796) – French priest astronomer
and naval geographer; the crater Pingré on the Moon is named after
him, as is the asteroid 12719 Pingré
Andrew Pinsent (1966- ) – Priest whose current research
includes the application of insights from autism and social
cognition to 'second-person' accounts of moral perception and
character formation. His previous scientific research contributed
to the DELPHI experiment at CERN
Jean Baptiste François Pitra (1812–1889) – Bendedictine
cardinal, archaeologist and theologian who noteworthy for his great
archaeological discoveries
Charles Plumier (1646–1704) – Minim friar who is considered
one of the most important botanical explorers of his
time
Marcin Odlanicki Poczobutt (1728–1810) – Jesuit astronomer
and mathematician; granted the
title of the King's Astronomer; the crater Poczobutt on the
Moon is named after him.
Léon Abel Provancher (1820–1892) – Priest and naturalist
devoted to the study and description of the fauna and flora of
Canada; his pioneer work won for him the appellation of the 'Father
of Natural History in Canada'
R
Louis Receveur (1757–1788) – Franciscan naturalist and
astronomer; described as being as close as one could get to being
an ecologist in the 18th century
Franz Reinzer (1661–1708) – Jesuit who wrote an in-depth
meteorological, astrological, and political compendium covering
topics such as comets, meteors, lightning, winds, fossils, metals,
bodies of water, and subterranean treasures and secrets of the
earth
Louis Rendu (1789–1859) – Bishop who wrote an important book
on the mechanisms of glacial motion; the Rendu Glacier, Alaska,
U.S. and Mount Rendu, Antarctica are named for him
Vincenzo Riccati (1707–1775) – Italian Jesuit mathematician
and physicist
Matteo Ricci (1552–1610) – One of the founding fathers of the
Jesuit China Mission and co-author of the first European-Chinese
dictionary
Giovanni Battista Riccioli (1598–1671) – Jesuit astronomer
who authored Almagestum novum, an influential encyclopedia of
astronomy; The first person to measure the rate of acceleration of
a freely falling body; created a selenograph with Father Grimaldi
that now adorns the entrance at the National Air and Space Museum
in Washington D.C.
Richard of Wallingford (1292-1336) - Abbot, renowned
clockmaker, and one of the initiators of western
trigonometry
Johannes Ruysch (c. 1460–1533) – Priest, explorer,
cartographer, and astronomer who created the second oldest known
printed representation of the New World
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Giovanni Girolamo Saccheri (1667–1733) – Jesuit mathematician
and geometer
Johannes de Sacrobosco (c. 1195 – c. 1256) – Irish monk and
astronomer who wrote the authoritative medieval astronomy text
Tractatus de Sphaera; his Algorismus was the first text to
introduce Hindu-Arabic numerals and procedures into the European
university curriculum; the lunar crater Sacrobosco is named after
him
Gregoire de Saint-Vincent (1584–1667) – Jesuit mathematician
who made important contributions to the study of the
hyperbola
Alphonse Antonio de Sarasa (1618–1667) – Jesuit mathematician
who contributed to the understanding of logarithms
Christoph Scheiner (c. 1573–1650) – Jesuit physicist,
astronomer, and inventor of the pantograph; wrote on a wide range
of scientific subjects
Wilhelm Schmidt (linguist) (1868–1954) – Austrian priest,
linguist, anthropologist, and ethnologist.
George Schoener (1864–1941) – Priest who became known in the
United States as the 'Padre of the Roses' for his experiments in
rose breeding
Gaspar Schott (1608–1666) – Jesuit physicist, astronomer, and
natural philosopher who is most widely known for his works on
hydraulic and mechanical instruments
Franz Paula von Schrank (1747–1835) – Priest, botanist,
entomologist, and prolific writer
Berthold Schwarz (c. 14th century) – Franciscan friar and
reputed inventor of gunpowder and firearms
Anton Maria Schyrleus of Rheita (1604–1660) – Capuchin
astronomer and optrician who built Kepler's telescope
George Mary Searle (1839–1918) – Paulist astronomer and
professor who discovered six galaxies
Angelo Secchi (1818–1878) – Jesuit pioneer in astronomical
spectroscopy, and one of the first scientists to state
authoritatively that the sun is a star
Alessandro Serpieri (1823–1885) – Priest, astronomer, and
seismologist who studied shooting stars, and was the first to
introduce the concept of the seismic radiant
Gerolamo Sersale (1584–1654) – Jesuit astronomer and
selenographer; his map of the moon can be seen in the Naval
Observatory of San Fernando; the lunar crater Sirsalis is named
after him
Benedict Sestini (1816–1890) – Jesuit astronomer,
mathematician and architect; studied sunspots and eclipses; wrote
textbooks on a variety of mathematical subjects
René François Walter de Sluse (1622–1685) – Canon and
mathematician with a family of curves named after him
Lazzaro Spallanzani (1729–1799) – Priest, biologist, and
physiologist who made important contributions to the experimental
study of bodily functions, animal reproduction, and essentially
discovered echolocation; his research of biogenesis paved the way
for the investigations of Louis Pasteur
Valentin Stansel (1621–1705) – Jesuit astronomer who made
important observations of comets
Johan Stein (1871–1951) – Jesuit astronomer and director of
the Vatican Observatory, which he modernized and relocated to
Castel Gandolfo; the crater Stein on the far side of the Moon is
named after him
Nicolas Steno (1638–1686) – Bishop beatified by Pope John
Paul II who is often called the father of geology[9] and
stratigraphy[7], and is known for Steno's principles
Pope Sylvester II (c. 946–1003) – Prolific scholar who
endorsed and promoted Arabic knowledge of arithmetic, mathematics,
and astronomy in Europe, reintroducing the abacus and armillary
sphere which had been lost to Europe since the end of the
Greco-Roman era
Alexius Sylvius Polonus (1593 – c. 1653) – Jesuit astronomer
who studied sunspots and published a work on
calendariography
Ignacije Szentmartony (1718–1793) – Jesuit cartographer,
mathematician, and astronomer who became a member of the expedition
that worked on the rearrangement of the frontiers among colonies in
South America
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André Tacquet (1612–1660) – Jesuit mathematician whose work
laid the groundwork for the eventual discovery of
calculus
Pierre Teilhard de Chardin (1881–1955) – Jesuit
paleontologist and geologist who took part in the discovery of
Peking Man
Francesco Lana de Terzi (c. 1631–1687) – Jesuit referred to
as the Father of Aviation[10] for his pioneering efforts; he also
developed a blind writing alphabet prior to Braille.
Theodoric of Freiberg (c. 1250 – c. 1310) – Dominican
theologian and physicist who gave the first correct geometrical
analysis of the rainbow
Joseph Tiefenthaler (1710–1785) – Jesuit who was one of the
earliest European geographers to write about India
Giuseppe Toaldo (1719–1797) – Priest and physicist who
studied atmospheric electricity and did important work with
lightning rods; the asteroid 23685 Toaldo is named for
him.
José Torrubia (c. 1700–1768) – Franciscan linguist,
scientist, collector of fossils and books, and writer on
historical, political and religious subjects
Franz de Paula Triesnecker (1745–1817) – Jesuit astronomer
and director of the Vienna Observatory; published a number of
treatises on astronomy and geography; the crater Triesnecker on the
Moon is named after him.
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Basil Valentine (c. 15th century) – Benedictine alchemist
whom author James J. Walsh calls the father of modern
chemistry[11]
Luca Valerio (1552–1618) – Jesuit mathematician who developed
ways to find volumes and centers of gravity of solid
bodies
Pierre Varignon (1654–1722) – Priest and mathematician whose
principle contributions were to statics and mechanics; created a
mechanical explanation of gravitation
Giovanni Battista Venturi (1746-1822) - Priest who discovered
the Venturi effect
Fausto Veranzio (c. 1551–1617) – Bishop, polymath, inventor,
and lexicographer
Ferdinand Verbiest (1623–1688) – Jesuit astronomer and
mathematician; designed what some claim to be the first ever
self-propelled vehicle – many claim this as the world's first
automobile
Francesco de Vico (1805–1848) – Jesuit astronomer who
discovered or co-discovered a number of comets; also made
observations of Saturn and the gaps in its rings; the lunar crater
De Vico and the asteroid 20103 de Vico are named after
him
Vincent of Beauvais (c.1190–c.1264) – Dominican who wrote the
most influential encyclopedia of the Middle Ages
János Vitéz (archbishop) (c.1405–1472) – Archbishop,
astronomer, and mathematician
Benito Viñes (1870- 1893), A Jesuit priest who was known as
“Father Hurricane” Beginning his significant and important research
on hurricanes.
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Martin Waldseemüller (c. 1470–1520) – German priest and
cartographer who, along with Matthias Ringmann, is credited with
the first recorded usage of the word America
Godefroy Wendelin (1580–1667) – Priest and astronomer who
recognized that Kepler's third law applied to the satellites of
Jupiter; the lunar crate Vendelinus is named in his
honor
Johannes Werner (1468–1522) – Priest, mathematician,
astronomer, and geographer
Witelo (c. 1230 – after 1280, before 1314) – Friar,
physicist, natural philosopher, and mathematician; lunar crater
Vitello named in his honor; his Perspectiva powerfully influenced
later scientists, in particular Johannes Kepler
Julian Tenison Woods (1832–1889) – Passionist geologist and
mineralogist
Theodor Wulf (1868–1946) – Jesuit physicist who was one of
the first experimenters to detect excess atmospheric
radiation
Franz Xaver von Wulfen (1728-1805) - Jesuit botanist,
mineralogist, and alpinist
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John Zahm (1851–1921) – Holy Cross priest and South American
explorer
Giuseppe Zamboni (1776–1846) – Priest and physicist who
invented the Zamboni pile, an early electric battery similar to the
Voltaic pile
Francesco Zantedeschi (1797–1873) – Priest who was among the
first to recognize the marked absorption by the atmosphere of red,
yellow, and green light; published papers on the production of
electric currents in closed circuits by the approach and withdrawal
of a magnet, thereby anticipating Michael Faraday's classical
experiments of 1831[12]
Niccolò Zucchi (1586–1670) – Jesuit who invented the
reflecting telescope[13] and may have been the first to see the
belts on the planet Jupiter[14]
Giovanni Battista Zupi (c. 1590–1650) – Jesuit astronomer,
mathematician, and first person to discover that the planet Mercury
had orbital phases; the crater Zupus on the Moon is named after
him
