THE CATHOLIC DIGEST

Magazine Overview

Title: THE CATHOLIC DIGEST
Issue: April
Volume: 1953
Date: December, 1952 (Cover date is April, but the copyright and reprint date is December 1952)
Publisher: The Catholic Digest
Country: United States
Language: English

Visitors From Space?

This article, by David Barker, condensed from Outlook, delves into the historical accounts of flying saucer sightings, suggesting they amount to more than mere imagination. The author presents a chronological overview of reported incidents, starting from the late 18th century.

Historical Sightings

• 18th Century: Early reports primarily from the United Kingdom and Europe.
• 1873: First recorded sightings in America.
• 1870 (September 26): The London Times reported an elliptical object with a tail crossing the moon in approximately 30 seconds.
• 1871 (August 1): A large, round body was observed over Marseilles for about 15 minutes, moving slowly at a great height.
• 1882 (November 17): Thousands in England witnessed a huge, cigar-shaped object emitting a greenish light. It traversed the sky from horizon to horizon in about two minutes. This sighting was documented by E. W. Maunder, an astronomer at the Royal Observatory, who estimated the object's speed at 10 miles per second and its altitude at 133 miles above Earth.
• 1897 (April 19): A torpedo-shaped craft, approximately 200 feet long and 30 feet in diameter, was seen over Sisterville, West Virginia. It circled the town for about ten minutes and used searchlights on the countryside. Similar objects were reported in late March and early April over Sacramento, Denver, Omaha (March 29), Kansas City, Eldora, Milwaukee, and St. Louis.
• World War II: Pilots reported circular flying objects over Europe and on bombing routes to Japan, nicknamed "foo fighters" or "Kraut fireballs," for which no explanation was ever provided.

Post-War Increase and Detailed Reports

The article notes a tremendous increase in sightings from 1947 onwards. Many saucers have been tracked by radar, and their size and speed measured with precision instruments. Some have even been photographed.

• White Sands, New Mexico: A huge elliptical craft observed over the White Sands rocket proving ground was calculated to be flying 56 miles above Earth at 18,000 mph. Several other saucers were estimated to be 500 feet in diameter.
• Eastern Airlines DC-3 Incident (July 23, 1948): Two pilots, ex-Lieut.-Col. C. S. Chiles and J. B. Whitted, reported a brilliant projectile-like craft hurtling towards them while flying from Houston to Boston. The object, described as about 100 feet long, cigar-shaped, wingless, and without fins, passed 700 feet away, rocking their airliner with its jet wash. It was traveling at 500-700 mph, leaving a red-orange exhaust trail. A passenger also witnessed the event.
• Mantell Incident (January 7, 1948): A huge gleaming object, several hundred feet in diameter, was seen over Madisonville, Kentucky, and shortly after over Godman Air Force Base. Three P-51 fighters, led by Captain Mantell, were dispatched to investigate. Mantell reported the object was metallic, tremendous in size, and climbing at half his speed. He pursued the object, outclimbed his fellow pilots, and was lost in the clouds. His last radio transmission indicated the object was matching his speed and climbing at over 360 mph. Shortly after, his fighter disintegrated. The same or a similar craft was seen simultaneously over Madisonville and Lexington (165 miles apart), suggesting it was flying at a height over 30 miles.

Classification and Theories

Of the 373 sightings investigated by American air force intelligence between 1947 and 1949, the flying objects were categorized into four groups: flying disks, torpedo or cigar-shaped bodies, spherical objects, and balls of light. Statistics from Air Force investigations indicated that 23.54% were disk or spherical shapes, 8.25% were torpedo or cigar shapes, and 0.6% were balls of light.

The article acknowledges that some sightings might be explained as astronomical bodies or products of imagination. However, a significant core of well-documented evidence suggests a more profound explanation. Out of 800 reports investigated by the Air Force, 15% were deemed to be of this nature.

One prominent theory presented is that the saucers are aircraft from another planet. The article notes that the possibility of life existing on other planets has long been recognized by astronomers, with Mars and Venus being potential candidates within our solar system, and Wolf 359 being the nearest star outside our universe likely to harbor inhabited planets. Theologians are reportedly giving increasing attention to the religious implications of intelligent beings on other planets.

Dr. Maurice Biot, a leading aerodynamicist, is quoted as stating, "The least improbable explanation is that these things are artificial and controlled. My opinion is that they have an extraterrestrial origin." This view is supported by Dr. Walther Riedel, former chief designer at the German rocket center at Peenemunde. The article mentions that American air force intelligence is reportedly "continually astounded by the number of trained scientists who believe they are interplanetary in origin."

The author concludes that the interplanetary interpretation of flying saucers is the most plausible and makes the most sense of the available evidence, fitting convincingly with astronomical data and drawing parallels with humanity's own plans for space travel.

Conversation in a Flying Saucer

This section features a fictional narrative by Tom Cooper, condensed from Perpetual Help. It depicts a conversation between occupants of a flying saucer observing Earth during Christmastime.

The occupants, referred to as "Mother" and "Child," discuss the differences between their species and humans. They describe humans as "poor mortals" who must suck in air, plant and plow for food, shiver in the cold, age, and eventually die, a state they call "death." This condition is attributed to the sin of Adam and Eve, who disobeyed God's command by eating the fruit of a forbidden tree, leading to God cursing the Earth.

The conversation then turns to Christmas, which the Earth people celebrate as their "biggest anniversary." The mother explains that on Christmas, God came down to Earth and lived among men, being born as a baby boy and suffering like other mortals. He performed miracles, curing the sick, blind, and lame, and invited humans to leave off sinning and follow Him.

The child expresses a desire to experience Christmas on Earth, singing songs in the cold and lighting candles, and wishes they were more like humans who have seen God. The mother reflects that the Queen of Heaven is a woman of Earth and that Mary can ask her Son to help humans into heaven. The narrative ends with the mother smiling at her child's wisdom, recalling a saying about the "happy sin of Adam" that brought forth a Redeemer.

Freedom for Communists—Even for Cats

This short anecdote, attributed to The Tester (September 18, '52), presents a humorous exchange between Stalin and Mao Tse-tung regarding how to make a cat eat chili pepper. Stalin rejects coercion and deception as incompatible with their ideology, proposing instead to rub the pepper on the cat's tail. When the cat burns its tail and licks it, it will voluntarily ingest the pepper.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The primary theme of this issue is the exploration of unexplained aerial phenomena, specifically UFOs, presented through a lens that acknowledges both scientific inquiry and religious interpretation. The Catholic Digest, through its selection of articles, appears to be open to discussing these phenomena, even considering the possibility of extraterrestrial origins, while grounding the discussion within a theological framework. The inclusion of the fictional "Conversation in a Flying Saucer" article highlights a theological perspective on humanity's place in the universe and the significance of Christian events like Christmas. The editorial stance seems to be one of intellectual curiosity, encouraging readers to consider complex questions about life beyond Earth and its potential implications, without dismissing the validity of reported experiences.