(Official theatrical release poster)
A new Steven Spielberg movie was released earlier this year called Disclosure Day. One of the aspects of the movie was the view by a Roman Catholic nun that the belief in aliens from outer space is consistent with Roman Catholic teachings.
A reader in Italy sent me a link in Italian (https://amgraffiti.blog/2026/08/14/extraterrestri-fede-cattolica-cosa-pensa-chiesa/) to an article that I machine translated into English. Here are some excerpts:
Aliens and the Catholic Faith: What the Church Really Thinks
Every time astronomy announces the discovery of a new, potentially habitable planet, the same question arises: if one day we were to discover other forms of intelligent life in the universe, would our faith be shaken? …
The idea that God may have populated other worlds is not an invention of twentieth-century science fiction. As early as the fifteenth century, Cardinal Nicholas of Cusa, in his work On Learned Ignorance , admitted the existence of inhabitants on other stars, while acknowledging the impossibility of our knowing their nature. In the Middle Ages, the 1277 condemnation of the Bishop of Paris, Étienne Tempier, went in the opposite direction to what is imagined today: it prohibited limiting God’s power, denying that He could create more worlds. In the modern era, controversial author Thomas Paine attempted to use the extraterrestrial hypothesis as a weapon against Christianity, arguing that the existence of other humanities would render the uniqueness of the Incarnation absurd. But his thesis failed to convince the religious scientists of the time, from William Herschel to Thomas Chalmers, who responded point by point, without ever seeing it as a real threat to faith.
A decisive step forward came in the nineteenth century with the German theologian Joseph Pohle, whose work The Starry Worlds and Their Inhabitants openly argued that the grandeur of the physical universe demanded, almost for coherence, the presence of creatures capable of giving glory to the Creator. This position was also shared by Italian scientist-priests such as Angelo Secchi, the founder of modern astrophysics, who believed it absurd to imagine the boundless cosmic spaces as uninhabited deserts. …
Among the most authoritative and recent voices is that of José Gabriel Funes, an Argentine Jesuit and longtime director of the Vatican Observatory. In a 2008 interview with L’Osservatore Romano, Funes stated bluntly that belief in God and belief in extraterrestrials are not at all contradictory. Starting from an objective scientific fact—the universe contains at least one hundred billion galaxies, each with an equal number of stars, many of which have planets—the Vatican astronomer asked how one could rule out the possibility that life may have developed elsewhere, perhaps in forms more evolved than our own. …
Even more clear-cut is the opinion of Father Giuseppe Tanzella-Nitti, theologian and astrophysicist, professor at the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross. In his encyclopedic entry on the topic, and in several interviews, Tanzella-Nitti reiterates a fundamental point: neither the Magisterium of the Church nor theological reflection have ever produced prejudicial arguments against the hypothesis of intelligent extraterrestrial life. Therefore, there is no official opposing position: rather, there exists what he himself calls the “classical” position, namely, the centrality of humanity as the only known rational creature, which remains the most reasonable hypothesis as long as contrary evidence is lacking, but which is by no means imposed as dogma. …
Taken together, the positions of Funes, Tanzella-Nitti, Balducci, Grasso, Coyne, and Consolmagno paint a coherent picture: in the history of Catholic theology, there has never been a condemnation of the hypothesis of intelligent extraterrestrial life, and the most authoritative scientist-priests who have worked in the Church’s observatories have considered such a hypothesis possible, if not probable. The fear that such a discovery could “destroy” the faith arises from an overly narrow reading of Revelation, which mistakes Scripture’s silence on the topic for a prohibition, when in reality that silence simply leaves the field open. If anything, it tells us only that this knowledge is not strictly necessary for the eternal salvation of souls.
Last century, when I was in the old Worldwide Church of God, our local minister preached that when Jesus returns many will think He is an alien from outer space and that is one reason that the world will fight against Him.
Notice also the following:
11 Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. 12 His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself. 13 He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. 14 And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses. (Revelation 19:11-14)
Notice that Jesus and the angels will come down from heaven. While some will consider Him to be the Antichrist, it is likely that others will see this as an alien invasion by extraterrestrial beings.
On September 19, 1846, Melanie of La Sallette claimed that ‘Mary’ told her the following;
The demons of the air, together with the Antichrist, will perform great wonders on earth and in the atmosphere …
Here is the King of kings of darkness, here is the Beast with his subjects, calling himself the Savior of the world. He will rise proudly into the air to go to Heaven. (Apparition of the Blessed Virgin on the Mountain of La Salette, September 19, 1846. Published by the Shepherdess of La Salette with Imprimatur by the Bishop of Lecce. https://fatima.org/apparition-of-the-blessed-virgin-on-the-mountain-of-la-salette)
The above, which is a Roman Catholic Church approved apparition, is consistent with possibly identifying Jesus as some type of alien.
Notice the following from the Roman Catholic saint Hildegard of Binghem:
Antichrist will make the earth move, level mountains, dry up rivers, produce thunder and lightning and hail, remove the leaves from the trees and return them again to the trees, make men sick and cure them, exorcise devils, raise the dead to life. He will appear to be crucified and rise from the dead. …
He will appear to agitate the air, to make fire descend from heaven, to produce rainbows, lightning, thunder and hail, to tumble mountains, dry up streams, to strip the verdure of trees, of forests, and to restore them again. …
Ostensibly he will be murdered, spill his blood and die. With bewilderment and consternation, mankind will learn that he is not dead, but has awakened from his death-sleep.(St. Hildegard Prophecy on the Antichrist. May 28, 2020. https://sacredheartsoldier.wordpress.com/2020/05/28/st-hildegard-prophecy-on-the-antichrist/)
So, notice that the claim is that the Antichrist be in the air (like the returning Jesus will?) will be fought against and be murdered, but he really does not die.
That is not what the Bible teaches about the real Antichrist as that false prophet will be thrown into the lake of fire (Revelation 19:20).
Furthermore, the Bible does warn that the world will fight against Jesus when He returns:
19 And I saw the beast, the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army. (Revelation 19:19)
It should be noted that many Roman Catholic prophecies about the Antichrist misidentify Jesus as the Antichrist.
This is something that the old Radio Church of God warned about in the following articles:
Christ or Antichrist? 1961 article by David Jon Hill, originally published in the old Good News magazine. Here is a related video in Spanish: ¿Cristo o Anticristo?
Will You Be Deceived by Antichrist? 1964 article by David Jon Hill, originally published in the old Good News magazine.
Here are a couple of Roman Catholic private prophecies that look to suggest that the one they identify as the Antichrist is really Jesus:
St. Hildegard (died 1179): Antichrist … His doctrine of faith will be taken from the Jewish religion and seemingly will not differ much from the fundamental beliefs of Christianity, for he will teach that there is one God who created the world, who rewards the obeyers of his commands and trespassers he chastises, who will raise all from the dead in due time. This God has spoken through Moses, therefore the precepts of the Mosaic law are to be kept, especially circumcision and the keeping of the Sabbath (Culleton R. Gerald. The Reign of Antichrist, Reprint TAN Books, Rockford, IL, 1974, p. 127).
Roman Catholic writer and priest P. Huchedé (19th century): “After having weakened the faith of Christ in the minds and hearts of many, he will proceed to show that the law of Moses still prevails; he will re-establish the Sabbath and all the legal observances; and he will invite the Jews to re-establish their nationality, after which he will declare himself the true messiah; he will endeavor to prove the truth of his assertion from Scripture–he will declare his design of rebuilding Jerusalem and the temple and of bringing the whole world under his dominion … According to St. Cyril of Jerusalem (Cath. 15), he will win the esteem and attachment of mankind by his urbane and unbounded kindness … he will work all kinds of miracles … He will therefore appear as performing miracles similar to all those wrought by Jesus Christ … Antichrist being a Jew, will be circumcised; he will observe the Mosaic law … Then by order of the tyrant the continual sacrifice shall be abolished (Dan. 9:27). The holy sacrifice of the Mass shall no longer be offered up publicly on the altars. The Church shall be devastated; the sacred vessels desecrated; the priests shall be scattered … It appears certain, then, that the Roman empire will be completely demolished by Antichrist and that he will substitute another in its place (Huchedé, P. Translated by JBD. History of Antichrist. Imprimatur Edward Charles Fabre, Bishop of Montreal. English edition 1884, Reprint 1976. TAN Books, Rockford (IL), pp. 17,18,26,54).
But Jesus observed Saturday instead of Sunday.
Here are more Roman Catholic private prophecies that look to suggest that the one they identify as the Antichrist is really Jesus:
Cardinal John Henry Newman (19th century) Hence, considering that Antichrist would pretend to be the Messiah, it was of old the received notion that he was to be of Jewish race and to observe the Jewish rites (Newman, Cardinal John Henry. Lecture 2. The Religion of Antichrist. Copyright © 2004 by The National Institute for Newman Studies).
Emmett Culligan (1966) The Antichrist will be a Jew by race and religion (Culligan E. The Last World War and the End of Time. The book was blessed by Pope Paul VI, 1966. TAN Books, Rockford (IL), p. 101).
Francisco Suarez (died 1617). Suarez (following Saint Jerome, Saint Ambrose, Sulpitius Severus, et al.) says that “Antichrist shall be born of Jewish extraction, and will profess the Jewish religion (Connor p.81).
St. Hildegard (12th century). “And in this way the son of perdition will practice his deceitful arts on the elements and show in them the beauty and sweetness and delight desired by those he deceives … He will show them his treasures and riches, and allow them to feast as they will, confirming his teachings by deceitful signs so they think they need not restrain or chaste their bodies in any way. He will command them to observe circumcision and the Jewish laws and customs” (Hildegard of Bingen. Scivias. Paulist Press, Mahwah (NJ), p. 504).
“After the destruction of Rome, Antichrist will appear and exalt himself above pagan deities and the Trinity … Coming to Jerusalem, he will succeed through false preaching, miracles, gifts, terror, aided throughout by the devil “An evil spirit will come out of the air and descend on his followers. He shall feign a resurrection from the dead, cause rain to fall”. perform other wonders, all through the power of the devil … The Jews will welcome him” (Prophecy for Today, p. 66). (Sedliacik RH. Will the World RECOGNIZE the Returning Christ? Plain Truth, April 1965, p. 27)
Frederick William Faber (died 1863) … Antichrist … Certainly a Jew … begins by affecting respect for the law of Moses … Jerusalem will be the metropolis (Connor p.87).
Of course, Jesus was a Jew.
Would Jesus or the Antichrist be able to read minds? Notice what one Roman Catholic writer wrote:
Dionysus of Luxembourg (died 1682) … Antichrist … He will teach that the Christian (Catholic) religion is false, confiscation of Christian (Catholic) property is legal, Saturday is to be observed instead of Sunday, and he will change the ten commandments … He will read people’s minds, raise the dead, reward his followers, and punish the rest (Connor, p.85).
The truth is that Antichrist will accept idols (iconoclasts destroy idols), originally embrace the term Catholicism (though he will change that religion), originally practice Sunday worship, and accept the Roman Catholic numbering of the ten commandments. The Bible does not teach that the Antichrist will read people’s minds or raise the dead (although it mentions one who was healed of a deadly wound, Revelation 13:12).
Jesus, on the other hand, will destroy idols, insist on the Saturday Sabbath, and correctly number the ten commandments (The Ten Commandments and the Early Church) after His return. He will of course be able to read people’s minds, and will raise the dead (1 Thessalonians 4:16).
When Jesus returns, He will claim to be the Messiah. Yet, certain Greco-Roman Catholics believe that Antichrist will claim to be the Messiah:
Venerable Bartholomew Holzhauser (died 1658): Antichrist will come as the Messiah… The Jews, knowing from the Bible that Jerusalem will be the seat of the Messiah, will come from everywhere, and accept Antichrist as the Messiah… (Culleton, The Reign of Antichrist, p. 148)
Dionysius of Luxembourg (died 1682) Antichrist will present himself to the Jews as the Messiah (Culleton, The Reign of Antichrist, p. 151)
Cardinal John Newman (19th century): …Antichrist would pretend to be the Messiah…(Newman, Cardinal John Henry. Lecture 2. The Religion of Antichrist. Copyright © 2004 by The National Institute for Newman Studies)
The Bible nowhere states that the final “Antichrist” will claim to be the Messiah. But it is clear that Jesus claimed to be the Messiah (John 4:25-26), and will again once He returns. And yes, He will return to Jerusalem and apparently present Himself to those there (Acts 1:4-12).
Anyway, when Jesus returns, some will think He may be an alien for outer space.
Many will think Jesus is the Antichrist.
But either way, the world that does not truly know Jesus will fight against Him when He returns.
Here are some links to items of possibly related interest:
Do Certain Greco-Roman Catholic Prophecies About Antichrist Warn Against Jesus and the Church of God? Will the final “Anti-Christ” be Jewish, insist on Saturday, be opposed to the trinity, and bring in the millennium? Certain Catholic writings indicate this, while others take a different view, but what does the Bible show? A related sermon is Will Jesus Christ be called the Antichrist?
Greco-Roman Catholic Prophecies: Do They Mirror, Highlight, or Contradict Biblical Prophecies? People of all faiths may be surprised to see what various Roman and Orthodox Catholic prophets have been predicting as many of their predictions will be looked to in the 21st century.
Christ or Antichrist? 1961 article by David Jon Hill, originally published in the old Good News magazine. Here is a related video in Spanish: ¿Cristo o Anticristo?
Will You Be Deceived by Antichrist? 1964 article by David Jon Hill, originally published in the old Good News magazine.
Aliens from Outer Space Are there aliens from outer space? Have any visited the earth? Are they dangerous? Does the Bible teach that an alien army will come to the earth and take over? Here is a link to a related sermon: Alien Beliefs and the Return of Jesus.
Close Encounters of a ‘Spirit’ Kind discusses some experiences I believe were (demon) ‘spirit’ related. A video is also available titled: Poltergeists and Lying Wonders.
Satan’s Plan Does Satan have a plan? What is it? Has it already been successful? Will it be successful in the future? Here are links to a two-part sermon series: What are Some of the Parts of Satan’s Plan? and Satan’s Plan is More Dramatic than Many Realize.