The chief astronomer of the Vatican, in a published interview, has recently said that believing aliens exist-- even intelligent ones-- is not at odds with faith in God. Such a notion, he held, simply recognizes the universe as revealed by modern science encompasses life beyond Earth.
Modern science hadn't reached that point in 1601, and the Catholic Church had a drastically different view of what Catholics could and could not believe. A priest named Giordano Bruno had a wide-ranging intellect, a free spirit, and a stubborn streak. Bruno speculated, as had others through the centuries, that the stars in the sky were in fact other suns, and that other planets with intelligent life might orbit them. The Church ordered him to recant thos views, but Bruno refused to do so, even when it was clear that refusal would cost him his life. Bruno was burned at the stake.
We have come a long way in 400 years.
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