MarysLittleFlower Posted February 2, 2016 Share Posted February 2, 2016 (edited) I'm not talking about "UFOs" etc.. I'm wondering what is the Church position simply on extraterrestrial life ie aliens. Not whether they would contact us or not. I also don't mean plant bacteria or even animal life, but the existence of other rational creatures on another planet, for example unfallen ones. I think the Church teaches that all men came from Adam and have original sin (except Our Lady)... and of course God took on human nature... what is the Church position on *other* rational creatures somewhere else, or are we the only physical rational creatures out there? I'm not so much looking for personal views (I mean, science doesn't really prove either way) but what is the Church's position. Thanks edit.. I read on another forum that a Pope condemned the view that there are unfallen men who didn't descend from Adam - I think he was talking about them being on other continents at the time when it was thought that we can't ever come to other continents. Does this same logic apply to aliens, or would he have meant specifically human beings? I'm sort of confused.. because if there are other rational unfallen creatures on another planet, why did Our Lord become Man here on earth, and what makes us different? there's a Franciscan tradition that He would have become Man even if we had not sinned... there are different views on this but still it made me think. I don't know what the truth is though - I'm trying to find out if the Church says anything if it doesn't, we might not know either way, unless a particular view is definitely supported. Thanks Edited February 2, 2016 by MarysLittleFlower Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amppax Posted February 3, 2016 Share Posted February 3, 2016 Well there is no official teaching, not that I'm aware of. Different people have speculated about this, of course. Several of the papal astronomers (Br. Guy Consolmagno SJ and Fr. Paul Mueller SJ) wrote a book which discusses the question briefly, I think both have also written online about the topic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Credo in Deum Posted February 3, 2016 Share Posted February 3, 2016 I used to wonder about this, but then I stopped caring since either way it doesn't change where mankind came from or our fallen nature. Christ is still my savoir with or without extraterrestrial life forms. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Basilisa Marie Posted February 3, 2016 Share Posted February 3, 2016 There's zero official teaching on that specific subject. People used to think we were totally alone in the universe, now some do and some don't. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luigi Posted February 4, 2016 Share Posted February 4, 2016 I suppose it's possible that God created humans (or something like humans) on another planet/in another galaxy/whatever. And I suppose it's possible that the Adam and Eve of that planet didn't eat of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. But I'm with Credo - it doesn't change my situation. AND, I have a hard enough time keeping up with my own spiritual work, so if they're out there, they're gonna have to take care of themselves! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
enitharmon Posted February 4, 2016 Share Posted February 4, 2016 As always, St. Thomas Aquinas had something to say about it. See http://www.unav.es/cryf/extraterrestriallife.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Not A Real Name Posted February 4, 2016 Share Posted February 4, 2016 (edited) If there are extraterrestrials then I'm going to go all Ignatius of Loyola on them and maybe convert them (God willing). If not conversion then at least a thorough blessing. Heathen aliens. Edited February 4, 2016 by Not A Real Name Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nihil Obstat Posted February 4, 2016 Share Posted February 4, 2016 8 minutes ago, Not A Real Name said: If there are extraterrestrials then I'm going to go all Ignatius of Loyola on them and maybe convert them (God willing). If not conversion then at least a thorough blessing. Heathen aliens. How do you know they are not already Catholic? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Not A Real Name Posted February 4, 2016 Share Posted February 4, 2016 5 minutes ago, Nihil Obstat said: How do you know they are not already Catholic? I don't, but better to be safe than sorry. Plus they could be poorly catechised like the Catholics here on earth, and therefor still in need of missionaries. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nihil Obstat Posted February 4, 2016 Share Posted February 4, 2016 6 minutes ago, Not A Real Name said: I don't, but better to be safe than sorry. Plus they could be poorly catechised like the Catholics here on earth, and therefor still in need of missionaries. They might be better catechized. Maybe they exiled Alien-Bugnini to Tehran in the early 60s. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Norseman82 Posted February 6, 2016 Share Posted February 6, 2016 On Thursday, February 04, 2016 11:06:20, Nihil Obstat said: They might be better catechized. Maybe they exiled Alien-Bugnini to Tehran in the early 60s. And we may end up with a Vulcan Pope someday... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luigi Posted February 6, 2016 Share Posted February 6, 2016 10 hours ago, Norseman82 said: And we may end up with a Vulcan Pope someday... Technically speaking, he's only half Vulcan... His mother was Earthling Jane Wyatt... who used to be married to Ronald Reagan... which means that the half-breed son of an American president and a fictitious television character could wind up being pope in a hypothetical universe! I think my head is about it explode! As with so many topics on Phatmass: If we had some ham, we could have some ham and eggs - if we had some eggs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Norseman82 Posted February 6, 2016 Share Posted February 6, 2016 4 hours ago, Luigi said: His mother was Earthling Jane Wyatt... who used to be married to Ronald Reagan... It was Jane Wyman, not Jane Wyatt, who was married to Ronald Reagan... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luigi Posted February 6, 2016 Share Posted February 6, 2016 2 hours ago, Norseman82 said: It was Jane Wyman, not Jane Wyatt, who was married to Ronald Reagan... Right you are! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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