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Vatican Statement:
Aliens could exist
By David Willey
BBC News, Rome
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-Comment-!
This
seems to be part of a formal disclosure process. It has been suggested
that Mars and the new range of super telescopes will be used as the
medium for introducing the idea of ET life.
In addition to its own hi tech observatory, The Vatican has also operated its own intelligence service called the S.I.V. which investigates issues related to off-planet cultures and life amongst other things.
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Father Funes
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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 inventor of the telescope, 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.
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/europe/7399661.stm
More:
Vatican: It's OK to believe in aliens
May 13, 2008 - 4:07pm
By ARIEL DAVID
Associated Press Writer
VATICAN
CITY (AP) - Believing that the universe may contain alien life does not
contradict a faith in God, the Vatican's chief astronomer said in an
interview published Tuesday.
The Rev. Jose Gabriel Funes, the
Jesuit director of the Vatican Observatory, was quoted as saying the
vastness of the universe means it is possible there could be other
forms of life outside Earth, even intelligent ones.
"How can we
rule out that life may have developed elsewhere?" Funes said. "Just as
we consider earthly creatures as 'a brother,' and 'sister,' why should
we not talk about an 'extraterrestrial brother'? It would still be part
of creation."
In the interview by the Vatican newspaper
L'Osservatore Romano, Funes said that such a notion "doesn't contradict
our faith" because aliens would still be God's creatures. Ruling out
the existence of aliens would be like "putting limits" on God's
creative freedom, he said.
The interview, headlined "The
extraterrestrial is my brother," covered a variety of topics including
the relationship between the Roman Catholic Church and science, and the
theological implications of the existence of alien life.
Funes
said science, especially astronomy, does not contradict religion,
touching on a theme of Pope Benedict XVI, who has made exploring the
relationship between faith and reason a key aspect of his papacy.
The
Bible "is not a science book," Funes said, adding that he believes the
Big Bang theory is the most "reasonable" explanation for the creation
of the universe. The theory says the universe began billions of years
ago in the explosion of a single, super-dense point that contained all
matter.
But he said he continues to believe that "God is the creator of the universe and that we are not the result of chance."
Funes
urged the church and the scientific community to leave behind divisions
caused by Galileo's persecution 400 years ago, saying the incident has
"caused wounds."
In 1633 the astronomer was tried as a heretic
and forced to recant his theory that the Earth revolved around the sun.
Church teaching at the time placed Earth at the center of the universe.
"The
church has somehow recognized its mistakes," he said. "Maybe it could
have done it better, but now it's time to heal those wounds and this
can be done through calm dialogue and collaboration."
Pope John Paul declared in 1992 that the ruling against Galileo was an error resulting from "tragic mutual incomprehension."
The
Vatican Observatory has been at the forefront of efforts to bridge the
gap between religion and science. Its scientist-clerics have generated
top-notch research and its meteorite collection is considered one of
the world's best.
The observatory, founded by Pope Leo XIII in
1891, is based in Castel Gandolfo, a lakeside town in the hills outside
Rome where the pope has a summer residence. It also conducts research
at an observatory at the University of Arizona, in Tucson.
___
On the Net:
Vatican Observatory: http://clavius.as.arizona.edu/vo
(Copyright
2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not
be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
By ARIEL DAVID
Associated Press Writer
VATICAN
CITY (AP) - Believing that the universe may contain alien life does not
contradict a faith in God, the Vatican's chief astronomer said in an
interview published Tuesday.
The Rev. Jose Gabriel Funes, the
Jesuit director of the Vatican Observatory, was quoted as saying the
vastness of the universe means it is possible there could be other
forms of life outside Earth, even intelligent ones.
"How can we
rule out that life may have developed elsewhere?" Funes said. "Just as
we consider earthly creatures as 'a brother,' and 'sister,' why should
we not talk about an 'extraterrestrial brother'? It would still be part
of creation."
In the interview by the Vatican newspaper
L'Osservatore Romano, Funes said that such a notion "doesn't contradict
our faith" because aliens would still be God's creatures. Ruling out
the existence of aliens would be like "putting limits" on God's
creative freedom, he said.
The interview, headlined "The
extraterrestrial is my brother," covered a variety of topics including
the relationship between the Roman Catholic Church and science, and the
theological implications of the existence of alien life.
Funes
said science, especially astronomy, does not contradict religion,
touching on a theme of Pope Benedict XVI, who has made exploring the
relationship between faith and reason a key aspect of his papacy.
The
Bible "is not a science book," Funes said, adding that he believes the
Big Bang theory is the most "reasonable" explanation for the creation
of the universe. The theory says the universe began billions of years
ago in the explosion of a single, super-dense point that contained all
matter.
But he said he continues to believe that "God is the creator of the universe and that we are not the result of chance."
Funes
urged the church and the scientific community to leave behind divisions
caused by Galileo's persecution 400 years ago, saying the incident has
"caused wounds."
In 1633 the astronomer was tried as a heretic
and forced to recant his theory that the Earth revolved around the sun.
Church teaching at the time placed Earth at the center of the universe.
"The
church has somehow recognized its mistakes," he said. "Maybe it could
have done it better, but now it's time to heal those wounds and this
can be done through calm dialogue and collaboration."
Pope John Paul declared in 1992 that the ruling against Galileo was an error resulting from "tragic mutual incomprehension."
The
Vatican Observatory has been at the forefront of efforts to bridge the
gap between religion and science. Its scientist-clerics have generated
top-notch research and its meteorite collection is considered one of
the world's best.
The observatory, founded by Pope Leo XIII in
1891, is based in Castel Gandolfo, a lakeside town in the hills outside
Rome where the pope has a summer residence. It also conducts research
at an observatory at the University of Arizona, in Tucson.
___
On the Net:
Vatican Observatory: http://clavius.as.arizona.edu/vo
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