Exopolitics: Vatican ready to welcome aliens?

November 11, 2:13 PMPortland Humanist ExaminerMicha J. Stone

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The guy in the pointy hat

(AP Photo/Luca Bruno)

Is the Vatican ready to welcome aliens into the church? According to Jesuit Father Jose Funes, Papal Astronomer and Director of the Vatican Observatory, "Christians should consider alien life as an 'extraterrestrial brother and a part of God's creation."

The Vatican just concluded a five day Astrobiology conference considering, among other things, the possibility of life on other planets. The event hosted by the Pontifical Academy of Sciences was held to mark the International Year of Astronomy.

Thirty scientists, including non-Catholics, from the U.S., France, Britain, Switzerland, Italy and Chile attended the conference, called to explore among other issues "whether sentient life forms exist on other worlds."

Is there life on other planets? The Vatican has asked that age-old question over the past five days during a "study week" on astrobiology gathering leading scientists from around the world.

"The questions of life's origins and of whether life exists elsewhere in the universe are very suitable and deserve serious consideration," said Papal Astronomer, Father Funes.

As Pope Benedict considers the possibility of extraterrestrial life, he might want to reconsider his embrace of homophobia, holocaust deniers and pedophiles. Indeed, it is doubtful that extraterrestrial brothers, sisters, or others, would even entertain the silly religious superstitions of the guy in a pointy hat.