From: g@crcomp.net   
      
   The Horny Goat wrote:   
   > Don wrote:   
   >   
   >>    Pope Leo proclaimed his primary duty is to spread the gospel instead   
   >>of solving the world's problems. When a reporter recently asked Leo for   
   >>his opinion on a current event in USA politics, Leo declined to answer.   
   >>The mathematicians in our midst may find Leo's BS degree in mathematics   
   >>interesting.   
   >   
   > As someone with a math degree (followed by a combined MBA/computer   
   > science credential - admittedly from the 80s) I'd be interested in   
   > learning more.   
   >   
   > Any online links on this point that might prove interesting?   
      
   Jesus Christ is identified as the incarnate Logos in the Gospel of John.   
   Pope Leo's mathematical degree compliments Catholicism's centrality in   
   Logos.   
      
       Why is this a big deal?   
      
       In a world that persistently mischaracterizes Christians as   
       anti-science, Pope Leo XIV's mathematical background offers   
       a powerful counternarrative.   
      
       ...   
      
       We see the unity of faith and reason in the long, robust   
       history of Catholic contributions to science and mathematics.   
      
       Father Georges Lemaître didn't just contribute to cosmology   
       - he revolutionized it by first proposing the Big Bang theory.   
      
       Gregor Mendel, an Augustinian like Pope Leo XIV himself,   
       didn't merely study genetics - he established its very   
       foundations.   
      
       Throughout history, Catholics celebrated intellectual   
       inquiry as a means to understanding God's creation.   
      
       Now, in Pope Leo XIV, we have a living symbol and   
       reminder of this unity.   
      
       Mathematicians respond to one of their own becoming pope   
      
       Pope Leo is certainly not the first science-minded pope.   
       Pope Francis held a degree in chemistry, and the popes   
       before him had great respect and appreciation for   
       science, as seen in writings like St. John Paul II's   
       Faith and Reason encyclical.   
      
       But his mathematical background brings something new   
       and different to the table. In honor of it, Aleteia   
       reached out to mathematicians for comment on Pope Leo   
       XIV's election.   
      
       Dr. Vladimir Piterbarg, Head of Quantitative Analytics at   
       NatWest Markets and Visiting Professor at Imperial College   
       London, shared this powerful response:   
      
           It is both inspiring and deeply symbolic to see   
           the new Holy Father as not only the Vicar of   
           Christ, but also the first pope - and the only   
           cardinal - to hold a degree in mathematics. In   
           a world that too often draws a false line   
           between faith and reason, his unique background   
           stands as a powerful witness to their harmony.   
      
           Just as Sir Isaac Newton saw his scientific   
           inquiry as a means to better understand God's   
           creation, and as Blaise Pascal used both reason   
           and mysticism to explore divine truth, our new   
           pope reminds us that the language of numbers and   
           the mystery of faith are not at odds. Rather,   
           both lead us toward the same transcendent truth:   
           the order, beauty, and love at the heart of God's   
           universe.   
      
           May his papacy inspire a new generation of   
           faithful who are unafraid to seek God through   
           both the soul and the mind.   
      
       Mark Bauer, an American mathematician who works in quantitative   
       finance, shared a profound reflection on how a math background   
       may shape Pope Leo’s outlook:   
      
           How exciting it is to have a pope with   
           a mathematics degree! At its core,   
           mathematics is the study of how the   
           universe really works - an exploration   
           of logic, symmetry, and structure. It’s   
           a discipline rooted in reason and built   
           axiomatically, revealing beauty and order   
           in even the most abstract ideas.   
      
           With this background, Pope Leo XIV brings   
           a unique perspective to the papacy. His   
           understanding of mathematical beauty and   
           symmetry may deepen his appreciation for   
           the divine order in creation. It’s not a   
           stretch to imagine that this will help him   
           see - and care for - the soul of every   
           individual person as beautifully made in   
           the image of God.   
      
           Such a perspective can also inspire us all to   
           recognize the overlooked, to remember those   
           who are most easily forgotten, and to   
           treasure every human being as a reflection of   
           divine beauty.   
      
       (excerpt)   
      
          
      
   --   
   Don.......My cat's  )\._.,--....,'``.                     veritas    _|_   
   telltale tall tail /,   _.. \   _\  (`._ ,.               liberabit   |   
   tells tall tales.. `._.-(,_..'--(,_..'`-.;.'              vos         |   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)