Kathrine Frich
The Vatican is a place where faith meets the unknown, balancing doctrine with questions science cannot fully answer.
Now, a new claim is drawing attention because it points to what could be the most extraordinary “unknown” of all.
A British filmmaker says the Church may already be thinking about how it would respond if humanity is not alone.
Claims of access
UFO researcher Mark Christopher Lee says he has been granted “rare access” to the Vatican’s secret archives, as he investigates past reports of unexplained events.
He believes the material could offer clues about how the Church views possible encounters with non-human intelligence.
“I’ve been given rare access to the Vatican’s secret archives. I’ll be looking for any historical references to unexplained phenomena, spiritual encounters, or anything that could shed light on humanity’s possible contact with intelligent life beyond Earth,” Lee said.
“If we are close to confirming intelligent life beyond Earth, no institution will feel the shockwaves more than the Catholic Church.”
First contact question
Lee argues the new pontiff could face unprecedented pressure if disclosure or “first contact” were to happen soon.
“The new Pope could become the first spiritual leader in history to address First Contact, and I intend to find out how prepared the Church really is.”
He added: “Could the Church have been quietly preparing for this moment all along, and what might the new Pope reveal when the truth is finally confronted?”.
Faith and ufos
In his documentary God Vs Aliens, Lee links UFO encounters with supernatural experiences, suggesting the Church may be more open to the idea of extraterrestrial life than many assume.
“Faith and prophecy have always guided humanity. Now, with UFO disclosure and global interest at an all-time high, these forces are converging in a way that has never happened before. 2026 could be the year everything changes.”
The report also points to past Vatican commentary indicating that belief in God would not automatically conflict with life beyond Earth.
Vatican voices
In 2008, Father Gabriel Funes wrote:
“Just as there is a multiplicity of creatures over the earth, so there could be other beings, even intelligent (beings), created by God. This is not in contradiction with our faith, because we cannot establish limits to God’s creative freedom.”
He also said: “To quote St. Francis, if we can consider some earthly creatures as ‘brothers’ or ‘sisters’, why could we not speak of a ‘brother alien’? He would also belong to the creation.”
Father Richard D’Souza said: “They are all part of God’s creation. The question would be how to reach them or how they would reach us.”
Sources: Daily Star, Vatican newspaper.
