Would You Baptize an Extraterrestrial?: . . . and Other Questions from the Astronomers' In-box at the Vatican Observatory

Witty and thought provoking, two Vatican astronomers shed provocative light on some of the strange places where religion and science meet.

“Imagine if a Martian showed up, all big ears and big nose like a child's drawing, and he asked to be baptized. How would you react?” -Pope Francis, May, 2014

Pope Francis posed that question-without insisting on an answer!-to provoke deeper reflection about inclusiveness and diversity in the Church. But it's not the first time that question has been aske...