Vatican Prepares World For Alien Contact
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Vatican Holds Conference on Extraterrestrial Life
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Father Funes, S.J., Vatican Astronomer
"THE EXTRATERRESTRIAL IS MY BROTHER"
THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ASTRONOMY AND FAITH IN AN INTERVIEW WITH FATHER
FUNES, DIRECTOR OF THE VATICAN OBSERVATORY (L’OSSERVATORE ROMANO) --
MAY 14, 2008
The extraterrestrial is my brother
“Where we
came forth, and once more saw the stars.” Cites Dante—the famous verse
that closes the last canto of The Inferno—to describe astronomy’s
mission. This is above all “giving back to men the just dimension of a
small and fragile creature before the incommensurable scenario of
billions and billions of galaxies.” And then we discover that we are not
the only beings to inhabit the Universe? The hypothesis does not
unsettle it much more so. It is possible to believe in God and in
extraterrestrials. The existence of other worlds and other life, even
more evolved than ours, can be accepted without this interfering in the
discussion the faith of creation, the incarnation, the redemption. Words
of an astronomer and of a priest. Words of José Gabriel Funes, Director
of the Vatican Observatory. Argentinian, 45 years old, Jesuit, from
August 2006, Father Funes has the keys to the historical Pontifical
Palace of Castel Gandolfo, which Pius XI gave to the Vatican Observatory
in 1935. Around one year he gave it back, to receive that of the
Basilian monastery situated on the border between the Pontifical Villa
and Albano, where the observatory’s study, laboratories and libraries
were moved. It brings together courtly and serene styles that from soft
detachment of earthly things to whom is used to having eyes turned
heavenward. A little bit of a philosopher and a little bit of a
researcher like all astronomers. Contemplating the sky is for him the
most authentic human act that can be done. Because—he explains to
“L’Osservatore Romano”—it enlarges our heart and helps us to get out of
so many hells that humanity has created on the earth: violence, war,
poverty, oppression.”
LOR: How did the Church’s and Popes’ interest in astronomy come to be?
FUNES:
The origins can be traced back to Gregory XIII, who was the artifice of
the calendar reform in 1582. Father Cristoforo Clavio, Jesuit of the
Collegio Romano, was part of the commission that studied this reform.
Between 1700 and 1800, three observatories sprung up by papal
initiative. Then in 1891, in a moment of conflict between the church
world and the scientific world, Pope Leo XIII wanted to found, or better
re-found, the Vatican Observatory. He did it precisely to show that the
Church was not against science, but promoted a “true and solid”
science, after his own words. The Observatory was therefore born of an
essentially apologetic scope, but with the years became part of the
dialogue of the Church with the world.
LOR: Does the study of the laws of the Cosmos bring us closer to or farther away from God?
FUNES:
Astronomy has a deep human value. It is a science that opens the heart
and the mind. It helps us to put our life, our hopes and our problems
into right perspective. In this sense—and here I speak as a priest and
as a Jesuit—it is also a huge apostolic tool that can bring one closer
to God.
LOR: Give us some examples.
FUNES: Sufficient to
remember that about thirty craters of the moon are named after ancient
Jesuit astronomers. And that a solar system asteroid has been named
after my predecessor to the Observatory, Father George Coyne. One could
also recall the importance of contributions such as those of Father
O’Connell to the individualization of the “green ray” or of Brother
Consolmagno to the declassification of Pluto. It goes without saying the
work of Father Corbally—vice president of our astronomical center in
Tuscon—who has worked with a NASA team on the recent discovery of
residual asteroids in the formation of binary star systems.
LOR:
Can the Church’s interest in the study of the universe be explained by
the fact that astronomy is the only science that has to do with the
infinite and therefore with God?
FUNES: To be precise, the
universe is not infinite. It is very big, but finite, because it has an
age: about 14 billion years, given our most recent findings. And if it
has an age, this means that it also has a limit in space. The universe
was born in a determined moment and from then is continually expanding.
LOR: From what has it originated?
FUNES:
From my perspective, the Big Bang remains the best explanation of the
universe’s origin that we have at this point from a scientific
standpoint.
LOR: And from there, what happened?
FUNES: For
300,000 years, matter, energy and light remained in a sort of blend.
The universe was opaque. Then they were separated. Given that now we
live in a transparent universe, we can see light: that of the furthest
galaxies, for example, that arrives to us after 11 or 12 billion years.
One only has to remember that light travels at 300,000 kilometers per
second. And this very limit proves to us that today’s observable
universe is not infinite.
LOR: Does the Big Bang theory support or contradict the vision of faith based on the biblical creation account?
FUNES:
As an astronomer, I continue to believe that God is the creator of the
universe and that we are not the product of chance, but children of a
good father, who has a task of love for us. The Bible is not
fundamentally a science book. As Dei Verbum emphasizes, it is the book
of God’s word addressed to us men. It is a love letter that God wrote to
his people, in a language that dates back two or three thousand years.
Obviously, at the time, the concept Big Bang was completely strange.
Therefore, scientific answers cannot be found in the Bible. In the same
way, we do not know if in the more or less near future the Big Bang
theory will be surpassed by a more comprehensive explanation of the
origin of the universe. Currently, it is the best and is not in
contradiction with faith. It is reasonable.
LOR: But Genesis
speaks of the earth, of animals, of man and of woman. Does this exclude
the possibility of the existence of other worlds or living beings in the
universe?
FUNES: From my judgment this possibility exists.
Astronomers hold that the universe was formed by 100 billion galaxies,
each of them is composed of 100 billion stars. Many of these, or almost
all, could have some planets. How could it not be left out that life
developed elsewhere? There is a branch of astronomy, astrobiology that
precisely studies this aspect and has made much progress in recent
years. Examining the light spectrums that come from stars and planets,
soon it will be possible to single out elements of their atmosphere—the
so-called biomakers—and understand if conditions exist for the birth and
development of life. For the rest, life forms could exist in theory,
even without oxygen or hydrogen.
LOR: Are we referring also to similar beings to us or more evolved ones?
FUNES: It is possible. Until now we have had no proof. But certainly in a universe so big this hypothesis cannot be excluded.
LOR: And this would not be a problem for our faith?
FUNES:
I believe no. As a multiplicity of creatures exist on earth, so there
could be other beings, also intelligent, created by God. This does not
contrast with our faith because we cannot put limits on the creative
freedom of God. To say it with Saint Francis, if we consider earthly
creatures as “brother” and “sister,” why cannot we also speak of an
“extraterrestrial brother?” It would therefore be a part of creation.
LOR: And what about redemption?
FUNES:
We borrow the gospel image of the lost sheep. The pastor leaves the 99
in the herd for go look for the one that is lost. We think that in this
universe there can be 100 sheep, corresponding to diverse forms of
creatures. We that belong to the human race could be precisely the lost
sheep, sinners who have need of a pastor. God was made man in Jesus to
save us. In this way, if other intelligent beings existed, it is not
said that they would have need of redemption. They could remain in full
friendship with their Creator.
LOR: I insist: if they were sinners, would redemption also be possible for them?
FUNES:
Jesus has been incarnated once, for everyone. The incarnation is an
unique and unrepeatable event. I am therefore sure that they, in some
way, would have the possibility to enjoy God’s mercy, as it has been for
us men.
LOR: Next year, the 200th anniversary of Darwin’s birth
will be celebrated and the Church returns to confront itself with
evolution. Could astronomy offer a contribution to this conflict?
FUNES:
As an astronomer I can say from observations of stars of galaxies there
emerges a clear evolutive process. This is a scientific fact. Here I
also do not see a contradiction between that which we can learn from
evolution—providing it does not become an absolute ideology—and our own
faith in God. There exist fundamental truths that therefore do not
change: God is the creator, there is meaning to creation, we are not
children of chance.
LOR: From these foundations, is a dialogue possible with men of science?
FUNES:
I would say it is necessary. Faith and science are not irreconcilable.
John Paul II said and Benedict XVI has repeated it: faith and reason are
the two wings with which the human spirit rises. There is no
contradiction between that which we know by means of faith and that
which we learn from science. There can be tensions or conflicts, but we
should not be afraid. The Church should not fear science and its
discoveries.
LOR: As on the contrary happened with Galileo.
FUNES:
That was certainly a case which has marked the history of the ecclesial
community and of the scientific community. It is useless to negate that
the conflict never was. And perhaps in the future there will be similar
ones. But I think the moment has arrived to turn the page and look
somewhat to the future. This incident has left its wounds. There have
been misunderstandings. The Church in some way has recognized her
errors. Perhaps she could have done better. But now is the time to heal
these wounds. And this can be realized in a context of serene dialogue
of collaboration. People need science and faith to help each other in
turn, but without betraying the clarity and honesty of their respective
positions.
LOR: But then why is this collaboration so difficult today?
FUNES:
I believe that one of the problems in the relationship between science
and faith is ignorance. On one side, scientists should learn to
correctly read the Bible and to understand the truths of our faith. On
the other, theologians and Churchmen should get up to date on scientific
progress to be able to give efficacious responses to questions that
these continually pose. Unfortunately, even in schools and parishes a
way to help integrate faith and science is lacking. Catholics often
remain stuck at the knowledge of when the catechism was prepared. I
believe that this is a true and characteristic challenge from a pastoral
point of view.
LOR: In this sense what can the Observatory do?
FUNES:
John XXIII said that our mission should be that of explaining the
Church to astronomers and astronomy to the Church. We are like a bridge,
a small bridge, between the world of science and the Church. Along this
bridge, there is one who goes in one direction and one who goes in the
other. As Benedict XVI has recommended to us Jesuits in occasion of the
last general congregation, we should be men on the cutting edge. I
believe the Observatory has this mission: being on the frontier between
the world of science and the world of faith, to give testimony that it
is possible to believe in God and to be good scientists.
Friday, May 23, 2008
Source: http://padrefunes.blogspot.ca/
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Posted by: Michelle | 03 April 2013 at 12:37