I don’t think it is wide known that Hoyle and Fr. Lemaitre became personal friends, even sharing vacation time:
“Postscript: How did Hoyle and Lemaître relate at a personal
level?
All the evidence would indicate that Hoyle and Lemaître got on very well
at the personal level despite the fundamental disagreements over cosmology, and indeed over religion and we have noted Hoyles view of priests! I
will end with a nice anecdote given by John Farrell concerning a two week
drive that Hoyle, his wife Barbara, and Lemaître did together through
Italy and the Alps in 1957. They were dining one night, which happened to
be a Friday. Hoyle ordered a steak and Lemaître fish. When the food came,
Hoyles steak was of moderate size, whereas Lemaîtres fish was enormous.
Hoyle commented, Now at last, Georges, I see why you are a Catholic!, at
which Lemaître became red-faced and peevish. Hoyle was puzzled, thinking he had committed some terrible religio-diplomatic indiscretion as he
put it. That was until he remembered that Lemaître hated fish!”
Shark24,
An interesting story about
Hoyle and Lemaître/fish & steak.
Thank you.