Paging James Blish

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(by way of playingpossum)

Vatican says aliens could exist
By David Willey
BBC News, Rome
Published: 2008/05/13 22:08:27 GMT

The Pope's chief astronomer says that life on Mars cannot be ruled out.

Writing in the Vatican newspaper, the astronomer, Father Gabriel Funes, said intelligent beings created by God could exist in outer space.

Father Funes, director of the Vatican Observatory near Rome, is a respected scientist who collaborates with universities around the world.

The search for forms of extraterrestrial life, he says, does not contradict belief in God.

The official Vatican newspaper headlines his article 'Aliens Are My Brother'.

'Free from sin'

Just as there are multiple forms of life on earth, so there could exist intelligent beings in outer space created by God. And some aliens could even be free from original sin, he speculates.

Asked about the Catholic Church's condemnation four centuries ago of the Italian astronomer and physicist, Galileo, Father Funes diplomatically says mistakes were made, but it is time to turn the page and look towards the future.

Science and religion need each other, and many astronomers believe in God, he assures readers.

To strengthen its scientific credentials, the Vatican is organising a conference next year to mark the 200th anniversary of the birth of the author of the Origin of Species, Charles Darwin.

One of my favourite SF novels in my teens was James Blish's A Case of Conscience (which I really should go about getting my own copy... haven't read it for years), which dealt with a Jesuit priest investigating an alien race with no concept of religion, God, an afterlife, or even sin, and the disastrous consequences that follow.

Allegedly, after the book was published, Blish was sent (by one of his readers) a copy of the Catholic Church's guidelines for dealing with extraterrestrial life, should it be found, but I've never been able to track down a copy of this. If anyone can point me to one, do let me know.

Having heard that story, the admission here by Father Gabriel therefore isn't that much of a surprise to me, really... more like making public what the Church has already kind of prepped for, theologically speaking — of course, assuming the guidelines do exist. In 2005, a Jesuit priest also published a short pamphlet on the possibility of extraterrestrial life and its spiritual implications.

I suppose what's significant about this particular announcement is that it's apparently coming out from the Holy See (or close to it) which lends it a bit more authority.