Believing in aliens not opposed to Christianity, Vatican’s top astronomer says

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Father José Gabriel Funes, S.J.

Vatican City, May 13, 2008 / 01:59 pm (CNA).- The Director of the Vatican's Observatory, Fr. José Gabriel Funes, said in an interview with the Vatican daily, L'Osservatore Romano, that believing in the possible existence of extraterrestrial life is not opposed to Catholic doctrine.

The 45-year-old Argentinean priest heads the Vatican Observatory, founded by Pope Leo XIII with offices at Castelgandolfo, near the Apostolic summer palace, and another in Tucson, Arizona. Fr. Funes has been in charge of the Observatory since August 2006.

The astronomer began the interview titled, "The Alien is my Brother," by saying that, "Astronomy has a profound human value. It is a science that opens the heart and the mind. It helps us to put our lives, our hopes, our problems in the right perspective. In this regard, and here I speak as a priest and a Jesuit, it is an apostolic instrument that can bring us closer to God", said Fr. Funes in the interview.

Regarding the beginning of the universe, Fr. Funes says that he personally believes that the "big bang" theory seems to him the most plausible, and that it does not contradict the Bible. "We cannot ask the Bible for a scientific answer here. At the same time, we don't know if in a near future the 'Big Bang' theory will be superseded by a more complete and precise explanation of the origin of the universe."

When he was asked about the possibility of extraterrestrial life, the Director of the Vatican Observatory responded that "it is possible, even if until now, we have no proof. But certainly in such a big universe this hypothesis cannot be excluded."

Asked is he sees a contradiction between the Catholic faith and believing in aliens, he said, "I think there isn't (a contradiction). Just as there is a multiplicity of creatures over the earth, so there could be other beings, even intelligent (beings), created by God. This is not in contradiction with our faith, because we cannot establish limits to God's creative freedom. To say it with St. Francis, if we can consider some earthly creatures as 'brothers' or 'sisters', why could we not speak of a 'brother alien'? He would also belong to the creation."

Fr. Funes says that taking the image of the lost sheep in the Gospel, "we could think that in this universe there can be 100 sheep, equivalent to different kinds of creatures. We, belonging to human kind could be precisely the lost sheep, the sinners that need the shepherd. God became man in Jesus to save us. In that way, assuming that there would be other intelligent beings, we could not say that they need redemption . They could have remained in full friendship with the Creator."

"But if they were sinners?" L'Osservatore's journalist asks.

"Jesus became man once and for all. The Incarnation is a single and unique event. So I am sure that also they, in some way, would have the chance to enjoy God's mercy, just as it has happened with us human beings."

Comments: 13

Subscriber comments:

Published by: Musanga Muteshi
Kenya 02/05/2010 02:10 AM EST

Response to Keith Australia - It is Revelation found in the Christain Scriptures that insists that there is only one God who is supreme over all peoples & all creation be they Christian or non Christian; be they believers or non-believer; It has nothing to do with whether humans agree or don't agree. As an excellent beginning please read the Bible, Romans Chapters 1-16 , 1 Chronicles 29:10-12 and you will see for yourself how this works & understand who we are as humans to the Almighty God. Accept & submit Keith & you will really live for the first time in your life. Have a blessed day+

Published by: kirk
Australia 01/19/2010 07:22 PM EST

@ Musanga Muteshi It's very naive to think that if aliens exist they would come under your christian banner considering humans cannot agree on any religion. Humans today have still not heard of your god.

Published by: Musanga Muteshi
Kenya 01/16/2010 05:21 AM EST

The Bible teaches All things that exisit are created by God. IF ALIENS exist then they are CREATED beings just as Angels are CREATED beings even if they have superior intelligence to humans & like ALL creation they would still be subject to God & His will in all things. If aliens are evil then like the fallen angels & unrepentant evil men they would be condemned to eternal death but if they are good & united to God's will then eternal life is theirs just as the saintly angels in heaven remain in God & with God. If Aliens are godly then they will execute God's law as we know it & as the Catholic Church Magisterium & Catechism teaches it. Whether or not aliens exist is not the critcal issue but that if they do then they are subject to God like All creation.

Published by: Jonathan CHM
New York/United States of America 03/29/2009 09:44 PM EST

Genesis 1:27, "So God made man in his own image".
Genesis 2:7, "And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground."
Genesis 2:21-22, "And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, …the Lord had taken from man, made he a woman, & brought her unto the man".
From the above verses, it is obvious that God formed man/woman from dust instead of transforming apes to human beings.

Published by: sansan
Philippines 07/31/2008 11:19 AM EST

I'm a Catholic, but I personally don't think of alien as brothers. It reminds me of prophecies (can't remember the sources), that the one who'll destroy the church will come from the inside, in intself. If aliens are real, what more of deceitful Satan?

Published by: Natalie
Upland, CA 07/14/2008 12:19 AM EST

If you have any questions about the seriousness of the alien belief, search online under blue beam project. This should shed some major light on this subject. And yes, this is serious.

Published by: redmond O hanlon
dublin eire 05/27/2008 06:51 AM EST

As I sit reading of the implanting of extraterrestrial aliens, be they animals or ‘intelligent’ i.e., containing rational free-choice souls created by God, I wonder just how far Roman institutions will go to drag Catholicism down to the realm of ‘science fiction’. For centuries it was enough that man deemed it reasonable to live in a simple trusting faith and bore more equably the toil and the burden of existence. Alas, in the post scholastic era (1850>), wherein their interpretation of Scripture was rejected to make way for an ideology called science, that simple faith has been rendered so incredible that only a cult attracted fool would take it seriously.The universe does not show ‘a clear evolutionary process’ as Fr Funes states but one of decay, stars burning out and stellar debris clearly visible, just as St Paul stated in the Scriptures as a result of the Fall (‘because creation itself also will be delivered from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the sons of God. For we know that all creation groans and travails in pain until now.’ [Rom. 8: 21-22].

Published by: Ralph Gaily
Carmel Valley, Calif. 05/20/2008 01:31 AM EST

Could it be Satan, the master counterfeiter/deciever who wants to be worshipped as God.... coming on the scene at the end of the last act, as a benevolent, superior, high-tech saviour from the skies.

Published by: Laudan Espinoza
Seattle 05/19/2008 10:01 PM EST

I just noticed...Did anyone happen observe the initials after his name, S.J.? That should clear things up. The guy before this one was fired for his ridiculous ideas, i think Fr. Jose may be headed down the same road.

Published by: Juan Carlos Valer
Derby 05/18/2008 05:29 AM EST

Evolution is not opposed to the teachings of the Catholic Church; only ramdom evolution is. In other words, evolution as part of God's natural law is OK, and with this, aliens who may be considered children of God. And it would be OK as well to go there (if we can) and baptize them.

Published by: Jesse Brumbaugh
Austin/TX/United States 05/15/2008 11:04 PM EST

I still do not see how believing in aliens doesn't contradict the Christian faith. It presupposes that evolution is so easy to pull off that intelligent life could exist on any planet with water. That then puts Christ's life and death in limbo. So if he had to become a man and die as a man to free us from our sins, does that mean that Christ would also have to become an alien and repeat the process as well to free aliens from their sins? This is pure speculation and is completely opposed to the Christian faith once you get to the root of it and put it all together. I would really appreciate it if some bishops/priests/cardinals came out and also denounced this statement. This borders the line of atheism. One excellent book that debunks the alien theory is "Darwin's Black Box" by Michael J Behe (who is a Roman Catholic I may add), I would highly recommend reading it.

Published by: Laudan Espinoza
Seattle WA 05/14/2008 02:52 PM EST

This is a dangerous proposition. In the latter part of his explanation it sounds a lot like Mormons theology and the belief in Gods of different planets. I'm farily certain that the Church teaches that we are the summit of God's creation.

Published by: Ellen
San Francisco, CA 05/13/2008 05:14 PM EST

This is the subject matter of a book called The Givenchy Code by ER Escober. Vatican have long known about Aliens

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