Married Ex-Engineer-Turned-Catholic Priest Breaks Down Exactly Why He Sees 'No Contradiction' Between Science and Religion

A former engineer-turned-Catholic priest recently explained his fascinating path from the sciences to the pulpit, telling The Church Boyspodcast that he sees absolutely "no contradiction" between "faith and reason."

"I've always been interested in science, even as a kid. So, that has always been a part of me," said Father Nick Marziani, author of the book "Holy Fool, Holy Father." "I always found a fascinating correlation between the two. They are two different ways of thinking about reality, science and faith ... there's no contradiction."

He continued, "I love the interplay between faith and reason."

But it's not just Marziani's professional background that distinguishes him from most of his peers in the priesthood; he's also a married father of three and a grandfather of seven who was an Episcopal priest before leaving the church in 2006 and turning to Catholicism.

"God just put in my heart," he said of his original decision to go into ministry.

Listen to Marziani share his fascinating story below:

As for his eventual choice to jump denominations, Marziani explained that he was previously part of the Episcopal Church's evangelical wing, and that he, among others, were hoping that they would be able to find a place at the table "to have a proper evangelical witness" — one that permitted them to be "biblically traditional" and "responsible."

But that didn't quite work out, he said.

"Most of us discovered it's ... impossible," Marziani told The Church Boys, explaining that he was subsequently attracted to the "fundamental coherence" that he saw within the Catholic Church. A few years after leaving the Episcopal Church, he became a Catholic priest in 2012.

Clearly, he's in a unique position being that he's both married and has children, but he said that there are a few hundred priests across the globe who are just like him — individuals with kids and families who joined the priesthood later on in life.

The interview also turned to contemporary issues, including questions surrounding whether Marziani believes — as do many theologians — that humanity is in the midst of or is approaching the so-called end times.

"Absolutely," he responded, citing the "lack of moral and spiritual integrity and ... our abuse of the Earth" as evidence.

His recently released book, "Holy Fool, Holy Father" is a fiction book that deals with the subject of hope. Find out more about it here.

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