We've posted before about the Pope's chief astronomer Rev. Jose Gabriel Funes and his statements on possible extraterrestrial life. (ETs "don't contradict our faith," he has said.) The Vatican recently hosted a conference on the topic of astrobiology -- the study of life in the universe -- where a group of international scientists from a variety of fields discussed the possibility of alien life. From the Associated Press:
Funes said the possibility of alien life raises "many philosophical and theological implications" but added that the gathering was mainly focused on the scientific perspective and how different disciplines can be used to explore the issue."Vatican looks to heavens for signs of alien life"Chris Impey, an astronomy professor at the University of Arizona, said it was appropriate that the Vatican would host such a meeting.
"Both science and religion posit life as a special outcome of a vast and mostly inhospitable universe," he told a news conference Tuesday. "There is a rich middle ground for dialogue between the practitioners of astrobiology and those who seek to understand the meaning of our existence in a biological universe..."
The Church of Rome's views have shifted radically through the centuries since Italian philosopher Giordano Bruno was burned at the stake as a heretic in 1600 for speculating, among other ideas, that other worlds could be inhabited.
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And what happens when the aliens have same-sex marklar?
So the fun reason why they'd have this conference is that there are a number of alien artifacts in the Vatican treasury, and they want to establish that proof of their existance doesn't refute doctrine. I say this as a bit of a giggle, but they did historically supposedly destroy dinosaur bones so they didn't have to answer questions. The other is that they're just looking to the skies to fill the pews, should we have a first contact.
http://img102.imageshack.us/img102/4563/galgamekey5.gif
Nor, in our little day,
May His devices with the heavens be guessed,
His pilgrimage to thread the Milky Way
Or His bestowals there be manifest.
But in the eternities,
Doubtless we shall compare together, hear
A million alien Gospels, in what guise
He trod the Pleiades, the Lyre, the Bear.
....And so the Vatican catches up with early-20th century poet Alice Maynell.
that really sucks that the Vatican is still relevant enough for this to be news
"In the interview last year, Funes told Vatican newspaper L'Osservatore Romano that believing the universe may host aliens, even intelligent ones, does not contradict a faith in God."
Wow, must be a slow day at yahoo. Its kinda sad it took them this long to pick up this article. I guess last year can count as "recently."
On topic though, I see it as more of a move to put asses in the pews and money in their coffers; "Its ok to believe in aliens, see we do too! Come back to the church, give us some money!"
Of course alien life is OK. In a radius of 50 lightyears there must be at least nine billion Greys to baptize!
@mindlex and @cymx, from the article I linked to:
"This is not the first time the Vatican has explored the issue of extraterrestrials: In 2005, its observatory brought together top researchers in the field for similar discussions."
Two good sci-fi novels on Catholicism and alien life are The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell and Eifelheim by Michael Flynn.
The Vatican's never had an issue with ETs (even in the Middle Ages there was a belief in earthly non-human creatures who had souls, like the dog-heads, reports of which had come from explorers). It's only the conference itself that is recent.
Well, they've come a long way since burning Giordano Bruno at the stake.
I mentioned it because I recall a coast to coast am show where they discussed the vatican announcement of "aliens are gods children too, its ok to believe" and that seems like it was ages ago. Still its nice to see large news outlets picking up on the story, albeit a year late.
What? The Catholic Church did not "supposedly" destroy dinosaur fossils. That doesn't make any sense whatsoever.
I've heard some strange accusations against the Church, but that's a new one.
As for the argument that this is some scam to "get asses in pews" or get more money, that also doesn't make sense. Belief in aliens isn't exactly a big stumbling block keeping tons of people out of church, nor is a small gathering of scientists in Rome going to do much for laymen.
Believe it or not, not everything the Catholic Church does is some evil plot to get money. And if they did want to spread evil and make money, I'm pretty sure asking 30 scientists to talk about aliens isn't how they'd go about it.
Italian philosopher Giordano Bruno was burned at the stake as a heretic in 1600 for speculating, among other ideas, that other worlds could be inhabited.
Yet another murder...
A few years ago, they had an apologist circle jerk about the whole affair.
From ScienceNOW
"On the anniversary of Bruno's execution, Cardinal Sodano, the second-ranking cleric in the Catholic Church, called the incident an "atrocious death." However, he noted that the Inquisition had tried and condemned Bruno with then-common methods — including torture. Even though some aspects of those procedures are "a reason of deep regret for the church today," he said in a statement, people should not judge those who condemned Bruno: The inquisitors, Sodano maintains, "had the desire to serve freedom and promote the common good and did everything possible to save his life."
So... yeah. Because that really speaks for itself.
I wish people would actually call this despicable institution out and not give them legitimacy in any way until they actually undo the harm they've caused society.
loraksus,
They didn't do anything that most of the governments in Europe weren't doing at the same time.
To my mind, having the Vatican host a conference on the theological implications of Extraterrestrial life is like a young-Earth creationist hosting a conference on the implications of mitochondrial DNA on the age of the Earth.
-S
Ioraksus, that's a common claim but Bruno was actually burned at the stake largely due to his doctrines about the nature of the Trinity, not for his ideas about other worlds.
The Catholic Church has generally been somewhat accepting of alien life. See Michael Crowe's "The Extraterrestrial Life Debate, 1750-1900" which discusses this in some detail. Catholic attitudes towards life on other worlds were complicated and at no time was such an idea ever labeled a heresy. Catholics were in some respects more open to the idea of life on other worlds than Protestants.
Didn't mean to cause distress, and the nice church people fund a free nearby clinic in my neck of the woods, and they help with some people's inner harmony, so I think on average they're a good thing. I think it's a funny idea they're doing it, don't really assign it to the evil machinations of hidden church albinoes.
I have a memory of reading that the medieval church (not the modern one) did that, though can't recollect were I read it. I don't think priests or popes have gone round to museums with explosives of late. May be entirely spurious, in which case I aplogize. Though the medieval church did things worse than messing up fossil evidence.
Perhaps I'm remebering a scene from Dan Brown's unreleased screenplay "Indiana Jones and the Catacombs of St. George"
" So once again, Jones, what was briefly yours is now mine."
"Belloq! I should have known"
"Actually it's ArchBishop Belloq now. You may adress me as "Your Grace" while you hand the fossil over to my men..."
"Those belong in a museum!"
Oh no! A fantastically wealthy, influential, and controversial organization with a rich and complex place in the history of our civilization, that hundreds of millions of people still look to for every form of guidance, did something interesting and unusual that connects to important social and scientific issues!
God forbid that should be news. We wouldn't want narrow-minded blogophytes on an obsessive, simplistic anti-religion kick to make catty comments.
"Now it came about, when men began to multiply on the face of the land, and daughters were born to them, that the sons of God saw that the daughters of men were beautiful; and they took wives for themselves, whomever they chose. Then the LORD said, "My Spirit shall not strive with man forever, for he is indeed flesh; nevertheless his days shall be one hundred and twenty years." The Nephilim were on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of men, and they bore children to them. Those were the mighty men who were of old, men of renown.
Alien Abduction city, people! I even made a gag I was going to use in a sci-fi story (think "Star Wars" generic bar scene) with Grey ETs who have hologram devices that make them look like angels and they are quite lecherous and try to use it to get in bed with women. When the scam is uncovered, they gripe "It used to work on them so well..."
I was just about to post on that as well! it seems that Giordano Bruno was very outside the common modes of thinking about things, he was excommunicated by the Lutheran church as well and his teaching has been described as "an incoherent materialistic pantheism". He also wrote a book on the Catholic Church called "The Expulsion of the Triumphant Beast"...so that obviously made him pretty unpopular!
Obviously I don't think that merits burning, but then a mediaeval view on punishment is somewhat different to my own.
What are they going to do when ET lands. Baptize him.
i guess they will threaten to withdraw all funding for the healthy space baby program in that sector.