Why? Because Pope Benedict XVI can do what he wants, I guess. He spent about twenty minutes video-chatting with the crew of the International Space Station and the U.S. shuttle Endeavour, conveying well-wishes for Gabrielle Gifford’s husband, and generally just shooting the breeze.

This marks the first time that the Pope has spoken to astronauts in orbit; speaking from prepared English notes, the Pope began by wishing individual crew-members well, before going on to say:

“From the space station you have a very different view of Earth. You fly over different continents and nations several times a day. I think it must be obvious to you how we all live together on one Earth, and how absurd it is that we fight and kill one another.
…
When you are contemplating the Earth from up there, do you ever wonder about the way nations and people live together down here, about how science can contribute to the cause of peace?”

So we’re clear: the Pope used Vatican money on a video chat with some dudes on a space station to ask them what they were thinking about.

[Source: Telegraph]