The distinguished international conference took place in the ornate ceremonial hall of Ap\u00e1t\u00far House\u2014one of Gy\u0151r\u2019s most beautiful Baroque palaces, located on Sz\u00e9chenyi t\u00e9r \u2014 and paid tribute to the life\u2019s work of Szaniszl\u00f3 J\u00e1ki, a Benedictine monk and Templeton Prize-winning physicist. The event entitled \u201cThe Redeemer of Science\u201d<\/em> attracted numerous admirers and friends of the philosopher of science who emigrated to the United States, with participants travelling not only from Hungary but also from the USA, Italy and Spain. Organized by the Research Group for Religion and Science at Sz\u00e9chenyi Istv\u00e1n University, the Saint Maurus Benedictine Priory, and the Szaniszl\u00f3 J\u00e1ki Society, the central theme of the conference was the intersection of faith and science.<\/p>\n\n\n\n At the opening ceremony, Dr Eszter Luk\u00e1cs, Vice President for International Affairs and Strategic Relations at Sz\u00e9chenyi Istv\u00e1n University, stated that the Benedictine monk, who passed away in 2009, embodied the harmony between faith and science. \u201cMany perceive these two concepts as being at odds, yet Szaniszl\u00f3 J\u00e1ki\u2019s extraordinary academic career and exemplary life \u2014 which is still honourably represented today by the Benedictine fathers in Gy\u0151r \u2014 demonstrates that the development of science is best understood as an integral part of faith,\u201d<\/em> she remarked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Dr Luk\u00e1cs emphasized that the unique conference is a true celebration of science, as it featured presentations in Hungarian, English, and Italian on religious issues, as well as perhaps the greatest contemporary challenge: artificial intelligence.\u00a0\u201cI am confident that the distinguished speakers will present inspiring ideas, forward-looking philosophical approaches, and new perspectives on the relationship between science and faith,\u201d<\/em>\u00a0she declared.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Among those present at the opening were Dr Andr\u00e1s T\u00f3th, President of the Szaniszl\u00f3 J\u00e1ki Society; Dr. Eszter Luk\u00e1cs, Vice President for International Affairs and Strategic Relations at Sz\u00e9chenyi Istv\u00e1n University; Father Rafael Pascual, Professor of Philosophy at the Pontifical Athenaeum Regina Apostolorum in Rome; and Father Konstantin T\u00f3th, Director of the Czuczor Gergely Benedictine Grammar School in Gy\u0151r (Photo: M\u00e1t\u00e9 Dud\u00e1s)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Dr Andr\u00e1s T\u00f3th expressed his great joy that many individuals close to the renowned historian of science accepted the invitation in his honour, including American professor Stacy Trasancos, who wrote her doctoral dissertation on Father J\u00e1ki and now, as he did, teaches at Seton Hall University in the United States. He also highlighted the contribution of Luc\u00eda Guerra Men\u00e9ndez, Associate Professor at Saint Paul University in Madrid, the only person to have co-authored a publication with the Gy\u0151r-born monk. The event also welcomed Italian scholar Antonio Colombo, editor and translator of Father J\u00e1ki\u2019s English-language works into Italian, as well as American scholar Thomas Fowler, a representative of the Xavier Zubiri Foundation, who spoke on the topic of artificial intelligence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The keynote address was delivered by Fr Rafael Pascual, Professor of Philosophy at the Pontifical Athenaeum Regina Apostolorum<\/em> in Rome, under the title „Approaches to Interpreting the Relationship between Science and Religion.”<\/em> Delivered in Italian, the lecture presented theoretical frameworks for understanding the relationship between the two fields, offered by a scholar who has played a major role in promoting the international recognition of Szaniszl\u00f3 J\u00e1ki.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Dr Orsolya Pacsay-Tomassich, President of the Hungarian Diplomatic Academy, also addressed the audience. As the founder of the Stipendium Hungaricum Scholarship Programme \u2014 which provides significant support for international students \u2014 she is regarded as one of the leading figures in the internationalization of Hungarian higher education and the strengthening of international student communities in Hungary.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Created: 2025.04.10. 11:17 The Research Group for Religion and Science at Sz\u00e9chenyi Istv\u00e1n University, in collaboration with the Saint Maurus Benedictine Priory and the Szaniszl\u00f3 J\u00e1ki Society, recently organized an …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":21,"featured_media":8560,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[24],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/alumni.sze.hu\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/image-1-1024x682.png\")
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