I grew up a science fiction nerd. The first movie I ever saw in a theater was the original Star Wars. I loved watching reruns of Star Trek after school each day. (For those wondering my opinion on this important matter, I believe that Star Trek is far better than Star Wars. Of course, the 21st century versions of both franchises are trash.)

As a kid I would dream of aliens coming to earth and what that would be like. Even into early adulthood I enjoyed a good science fiction book or movie or TV show; without embarrassment I still consider Independence Day one of my all-time favorite movies. Although I don’t watch or read much science fiction anymore, I’ll never fully abandon my nerd roots.

As a kid I just enjoyed the stories and imagining what it would be like to travel the stars and meet alien races. But as I grew older and studied my Catholic Faith more, I began to consider the theological implications of intelligent alien life. Is it possible that God created intelligent life somewhere else in the universe? How does that impact our teaching on original sin and redemption? What would it actually be like, theologically speaking, if aliens came to earth? And, as Vatican Observatory Director Br. Guy Consolmagno asks, would you baptize an extraterrestrial?

These are serious questions and Catholics have rightly been debating them in recent decades. While there are real dangers in the modern UFO movement, an exploration of the ramifications of intelligent life in the universe only helps us to better understand our faith.

With all that being said, it should come as no surprise that I was delighted when I discovered a newly published science fiction book that tackles these questions. Pilgrims by M.R. Leonard is the story of first contact with aliens…who land at the Vatican, speak Latin, and are Catholic. It’s a fascinating premise, and I was curious how Leonard would work out the theological consequences of such an event.

However, to be honest, that wasn’t my first question. What I really wanted to know was, is this a good story? I’ve read and watched enough bad Christian fiction over the years to know that too often authors put “The Message” before The Story. Characters are one-dimensional, plot devices are contrived, and the dialogue is stiff, but Christians (including Catholics, who should know better) praise the work because it promotes a message that they agree with. Fortunately, this isn’t the case with Pilgrims. There are a few times in the book where it gets a little preachy, but those are exceptions, not the rule. Overall it’s actually a good story with interesting characters. 

The main character, Austin, is no stick figure; he has serious flaws, and those flaws drive the story forward. He’s a Latin teacher who finds his skills are quite in need now that aliens are using that language to communicate with the human race. We see things from his perspective, and we witness as he makes mistakes and is driven by all-too-human desires.

Leonard also does a great job of world-building. Mankind finds out about the aliens years before they actually arrive, and as the alien ship makes its slow approach our world receives no contact from the extraterrestrials. As such most people assume that their arrival will mean the end of the world, and Leonard deftly describes how that would impact day-to-day life as mankind awaits its presumed doom.  

So the story is good, but still…Catholic aliens? How in the world (or more precisely, worlds) can there be Catholic aliens? Did God reveal Himself to them? Did they fall like Adam and Eve did? I was intrigued to discover how Leonard would address these theological issues. I won’t give it away, but ultimately I was satisfied, even surprised, by how he tied it all together. It’s not that he directly answered every single possible objection to the idea of alien intelligent life, but his explanation of why the aliens are Catholic comes across as plausible and theologically sound. 

As I noted, I don’t read a lot of science fiction anymore, but I’m glad I made an exception for Pilgrims. It was not only entertaining but it made me think about deeper questions, which is what the best science fiction always does. At the end of the book it says that Austin’s story is not yet over, and I’m looking forward to Mr. Leonard’s next foray into the world of Catholic aliens. 

[Note: Due to some adult themes, including lust, violence, and alcoholism, Pilgrims is not appropriate for younger children, but should be fine for older teens and up.]