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Being one of the first human beings to orbit the planet most certainly brings a unique perspective to all aspects of human life, including faith and ethics.
Many of the first astronauts and cosmonauts who returned to our little blue dot in the universe brought back messages of peace and human unity. Coming from members of the military in the Cold War period, these messages of global cooperation were especially striking.
In October 1967, a committee of lay leaders from International Catholic Organisations put together the Third World Congress of the Lay Apostolate in Rome, what some called “the greatest event in the history of the Church in this century” after Vatican II.
Among the lay leaders invited to address the more than 3,000 participants in the congress, US astronaut James McDivitt was invited to a panel of “witnesses” along with Lady Barbara Jackson (Barbara Ward), Roberto Tucci, SJ, PT Kuriakose, president of the International Movement of Catholic Students, and Auguste Vanistendael of CIDSE. These interventions are recorded in the Congress proceedings, God’s People on Man’s Journey.
In his address to the congress, McDivitt, the former Commander of Gemini 4 in 1965 and subsequently the commander of Apollo 9, commented on the great changes that were taking place in the world as a result of technology and communications during the period of renewal taking place within the church.
Commenting on the teachings of Gaudium et Spes, McDivitt said:
“I’d like to talk a little bit about what the 2nd Vatican Council said. They talked about a one-world community, and in space it’s truly one world: when you look down from space, you don’t see the boundaries of national all you see is the boundaries between land and water.
“It’s really and truly just one world – and you go round it in a very short time: it makes you feel very insignificance as a person, by you know that there’s a lot to be done down there, and it should be done together…” Continue reading.
Source: Daily Theology, Kevin Glauber Ahern, PhD, is an assistant professor of religious studies at Manhattan College. From 2003 to 2007, Kevin Ahern served as the President of the International Movement of Catholic Students (IMCS-Pax Romana).
Image: NASA
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