The inseparable link between science and truth was underlined by Cardinal Christoph Schönborn, President of Austria’s Bishops Conference, on past 15 December in Wien. In his address delivered during the ceremony for the “Cardinal Innitzer” award , assigned to personalities operating in the scientific field, , Schönborn affirmed that “by assigning prizes for Scientific research the Church intends to express the fact that we shouldn’t be afraid of the truth”, since, he explained, “truth convinces because of the power connected to its claims”. “Whenever conflicts between Science and the Church arose, limits were often disrespected”, the cardinal pointed out. But “the image of the child Jesus and of Jesus on the Cross show us that truth cannot be affirmed by resorting to external forces but with the power of its claims”. The archbishop of Wien recalled the address by the Pope in Mariazell on past 8 September where he underlined the decisive meaning of the truth against the widespread attitude of resignation, a resignation towards truth, which according to Schönborn, “represents also the heart of the crisis of Europe”. “If for man truth doesn’t exist, then it is not even possible to distinguish between good and evil. Therefore, also the great scientific discoveries can have twofold implications: they could become significant opportunities to the service of good” or “terrifying tools for the destruction of mankind”, he declared.
