The Vatican and the world’s largest particle physics laboratory are planning to collaborate on studies concerning the origin of the universe, Catholic News Service reports.

Ugo Amaldi, a professor of medical physics who works closely with the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), said the Geneva-based laboratory would like to invite an astronomer from the Vatican Observatory to join in the research, CNS reports.

CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research, “is an international and European [facility], and to have the Vatican Observatory send some or one of its young scientists will be something that is extremely important,” Amaldi told reporters at the Vatican this week, CNS reports.

The head of the Vatican Observatory, the Rev. Jose Funes, said he hopes Gabriele Gionti, a young Vatican astronomer who will be ordained in June, will be involved, CNS reports. Gionti has a doctorate in physics and specializes in quantum gravity, CNS reports, and is finishing his theology studies at the Center for Theology and the Natural Sciences in Berkeley, Calif.

Father Funes told CNS that scientists at CERN are interested in “astroparticles – the first particles in the universe. And at the moment we don’t have anyone on our staff prepared to follow these studies. So maybe Gabriele Gionti has the background and the interest in collaborating on these topics.”

Amaldi told CNS that even though CERN scientists study subatomic particles and Vatican astronomers study large celestial objects and enormous galaxies, “there are theoretical similarities” in their research on the origin of the universe, stars and planets.

He told CNS that a Vatican collaborator ideally would stay a year to work closely with scientists conducting experiments with CERN’s Large Hadron Collider, which is used in experiments aimed at increasing understanding of what happened immediately after the Big Bang.

Read the rest of the story at catholicreview.org.