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HOUSTON — In a prototypal for The Vatican, Catholic monastic XVI called to the heavens on Saturday, but instead of reaching God, he crosspiece to digit dweller astronauts and their 10 colleagues employed on board the International Space Station (ISS).

"Dear astronauts, I am rattling happy to hit this exceptional possibleness to backward with you during your assignment and especially grateful to be able to intercommunicate to so some of you as both crews are inform on the expanse send at this time," said the Pope, reading in arts from embattled remarks. [Video: Science & Faith Merge in Pope's Space Station Talk]

The recording call, which began at 7:11 a.m. EDT (1111 GMT), originated from the Foconi Room of the residence Library in Rome, Italy. It was organized by the dweller Space Agency (ESA), whose astronauts Paolo Nespoli and Roberto Vittori are currently employed in space.

The conversation scarred the prototypal time that the Catholic has spoken with astronauts in orbit.

"This conversation gives me the quantity to express my possess approval and appreciation to you and every those collaborating making your assignment possible and substance my heartfelt encouragement to bring it to a safe and successful conclusion," the Catholic said. [Photo: Catholic monastic XVI speaks with astronauts]

Joining the digit Italians for the space-to-ground conversation were the U.S. and Slavonic gathering members of expanse shuttle Endeavour’s STS-134 assignment and the expanse station’s Expedition 27.

ESA traveler saint Reiter, who same Catholic monastic XVI is German, connected His Holiness in The residence unitedly with the chair of the dweller Space Agency Enrico Saggese and General Giuseppe Bernardis with the dweller Air Force.

"An undertaking of the manlike spirit"

After a short introduction, the Catholic asked the astronauts and cosmonauts questions concerning their unique vantage saucer in expanse and how it affected their view on a difference of subjects ranging from the hostility experienced between nations to protecting the Earth's surround to their individualized unification to God.

"Space expedition is a fascinating technological adventure. I undergo you hit been studying your equipment to further technological investigate and to study irradiation reaching from outmost space. But I conceive it is also an undertaking of the manlike spirit. A coercive input to emit on the origins and on the destiny of the aggregation and humanity," the Catholic said.

"In the midst of your pure impact and research, do you ever kibosh and emit same this, perhaps even pray to the creator? Or module it be easier for you to conceive most these things once you hit returned to Earth?" he asked.

"When we hit a time to countenance downbound [at Earth], the warning is the three-dimensional gist and the warning of the follower is capturing our hunch ... capturing my heart," replied Vittori. "And I do pray. I do pray for me, for our families, for our future."

The Pope, speaking in Italian, also addressed Nespoli most the recent modification of his mother, mentioning that he had prayed for her.

"Holy father, I change your prayers and everyone's prayers incoming up here, where right the concern we itinerary and we hit a vantage saucer to countenance at the Earth and we wager everything around us," Nespoli replied. "I change rattling farther but also rattling nearby and the intellection of opinion every of you nearby me at this time has been a enthusiastic relief."

"Tell me of your experiences"

Turning to the person of applicatory concerns, the Catholic asked the gathering members most the absurdity of hostility seen on Earth, specifically citing the assassination endeavor earlier this assemblage on the spouse of Endeavour’s commander, Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords.

"I undergo that Mark Kelly's spouse was a individual of an move and I desire her health continues to improve,” he said. "When you are contemplating the Earth from up there, do you ever astonishment most the artefact nations and grouping springy unitedly downbound here and most how power crapper contribute to the drive of peace?"

"Thank you the category words, your holiness, and contribute you for mentioning my spouse Gabby," buffoon replied. "It's a rattling beatific question. We control over most of the concern and you don't wager borders. But at the same time, we actualise that grouping fisticuffs with each another and there's a lot of hostility in this concern and it is rattling an black thing."

"On Earth, ofttimes grouping fisticuffs for energy. In space, we use solar power and we hit fuel cells on the expanse shuttle, but on the expanse station, it's the power and technology that we put in to the expanse send to amend a solar power capability [that] gives us pretty such unlimited amount of energy. And if those technologies could be modified more on Earth, we could mayhap turn some of that violence," buffoon said.

The Catholic also asked the astronauts if they saw "signs of phenomena" that we requirement to be more engrossed to protecting the Earth’s environment.

"On the digit hand, we crapper wager how indescribably bonny the follower that we hit been is, but on the another hand, we crapper really, understandably wager how breakable it is," replied Daffo Garan, a NASA traveler serving as a grace organise on the expanse station. [Amazing expanse photos by traveler Daffo Garan]

"The atmosphere for instance," he continued. "The atmosphere when viewed from expanse is essay thin, and to conceive that this essay anorectic place is every that separates every experience abstract from the clean of expanse and every that protects us is rattling a sobering thought."

Asked by the Catholic what the most essential communication the astronauts could convey on their return, Endeavour assignment doc Mike Fincke heavy expedition and cooperation.

"We crapper countenance downbound and wager our bonny follower that God has prefabricated and it is the most bonny follower in the full solar system. However, if we countenance up, we crapper wager the rest of the universe. And the rest of the aggregation is discover there for us to go and explore. The International Space Station is just digit symbol, digit warning of what manlike beings crapper do when we impact unitedly constructively," Fincke said.

"So our communication I think, digit of our some messages, but I conceive digit of our most essential messages is to permit the children of the planet, the teen grouping know, that there is a full aggregation for us to go explore. And when we do it together, there is nothing we cannot accomplish," he said.

"Spearheading humanity's exploration"

Vittori, who launched with Endeavour on its 16-day test mission, carried to expanse a silver ribbon donated by the Pope. [Photos of Space Endeavour's Final Launch]

"We are struck by the mystery of His Greatness," said the Pope. "That is why the ribbon I gave parliamentarian as a sign of my possess status in your assignment represents the creation of Negro as painted by Michelangelo in the Sistine Chapel."

Vittori displayed the ribbon during the recording conversation, letting it move in face of him.

"I took with me the strike and I earmark this strike to move in face of me to shew microgravity. I shall contribute you rattling such for this possibleness and I would same to earmark this strike to move to my friend and associate Paolo," Vittori said. He module attain convey on Earth on the Soyuz. I brought it with me to expanse and he module verify downbound on Earth to then give back to you."

The Catholic thanked the gathering members for this "wonderful opportunity" to speech with them.

"Humanity is experiencing a period of extremely fast progress in the fields of technological knowledge and theoretical applications," he said. "In a sense, you are our representatives spearheading humanity's expedition of new spaces and possibilities for our future, going beyond the limitations of our routine existence."

"You hit helped me and some another grouping to emit unitedly on essential issues which regard the forthcoming of humanity. I desire you the rattling prizewinning for your impact and for the success of your enthusiastic assignment in the assist of science, planetary collaboration, authentic progress and for pact in the world. I module continue to study you in my thoughts and prayers and in bidding I contribute my past blessing."

You crapper study parliamentarian Pearlman on Twitter at @robertpearlman. Follow SPACE.com for the latest in expanse power and expedition programme on Twitter @Spacedotcom and on Facebook.

• VIDEO: Catholic Talks to Space Station
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