Article: Roman Catholic Church And The Last Days

Nasa's Kepler mission announced last month that it had discovered an Earth-like planet in a solar system light years away that may have all the conditions necessary for the existence of intelligent beings. News about the planet, which NASA is calling Kepler-452b, has "thrilled" researchers at the Vatican Observatory, a branch of the papacy that has been studying the stars since 1582, according to Agence France-Presse. 
 
The Rev. José Gabriel Funes, an astronomer who directs the observatory, said he's open to the possibility of extraterrestrial life and has been for quite some time. Funes finds no contradiction between Catholic theology and the belief in aliens. He has said in the past that humans shouldn't put limits on God's creative freedom.