Pope Leo XIV honors Harvard scientist whose pursuit of knowledge led her to faith Karin Öberg holds the Thomas Dudley Cabot Chair in the Natural Sciences at Harvard University

Pope Leo XIV presented the Pius XI Medal to Karin Öberg, a Harvard scientist specializing in astrochemistry, during a recent audience with members of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences. The award, presented on Sept. 24, recognizes scientists under the age of 45 who have distinguished themselves through their research and show “exceptional promise” in their field. Öberg has spoken publicly about her conversion to Catholicism and how her pursuit of knowledge influenced her journey toward faith. In a 2011 interview with the Augustine Institute, she explained that there were aspects of the world that began to make it difficult for...