Overview
A British filmmaker and self‑identified UFO researcher, Stewart Morrison, has told the Daily Mirror that he has been granted “rare access” to the Vatican’s secret archives and that Pope Francis is preparing the Catholic Church for humanity’s first official contact with extraterrestrial intelligence later this year. The claim, made in an interview published on 2 January 2026, has not been confirmed by any Vatican spokesperson, and the Holy See has declined to comment on the matter.
The Researcher’s Claim
Morrison, who runs a documentary series on unidentified aerial phenomena, said the Vatican’s archivists showed him a series of declassified dossiers that allegedly discuss protocols for “first contact.” He asserted that a confidential working group within the Curia has been drafting theological and diplomatic guidelines to address the potential arrival of intelligent life beyond Earth. “The Church has always been interested in the big questions of existence,” Morrison told the Mirror. “What we are seeing now is a concrete step toward preparing a pastoral response if—and when—contact occurs.” He did not disclose the exact nature of the documents, citing confidentiality agreements, but described them as “internal memos and theological reflections dating back to the 1970s, updated with modern scientific insights.”
Vatican Response
When approached for comment, the Vatican’s press office issued a brief statement that it “takes all inquiries about its archives seriously” and that “no official position has been released regarding any alleged preparations for extraterrestrial contact.” No Vatican official has publicly confirmed the existence of a dedicated task force or any specific timeline for such an event. The lack of verification leaves the claim in the realm of speculation, despite the researcher’s insistence that his access was “unprecedented.”
Historical and Institutional Context
The Catholic Church’s interest in the possibility of extraterrestrial life is not new. In 2014, the Vatican’s Observatory (Specola Vaticana) hosted a symposium on astrobiology, and Pope Francis has previously remarked that belief in God is not incompatible with the existence of alien life. The Vatican secret archives, traditionally reserved for centuries‑old papal correspondence, have in recent decades opened select portions to scholars studying modern scientific issues. Nonetheless, no publicly available records have detailed a formal “first‑contact protocol.” Academic experts note that the Church’s approach would likely focus on theological implications—such as the universality of salvation—and diplomatic considerations, given the potential geopolitical impact of an extraterrestrial encounter.
Reactions and Outlook
The story has sparked a mixture of curiosity and skepticism among both religious and scientific communities. Dr. Laura Bianchi, a theologian at the Pontifical Gregorian University, cautioned that “while the Church does engage with scientific developments, any claim of a secret, imminent plan for alien contact should be treated with rigorous scrutiny.” Meanwhile, UFO researcher Dr. Hiro Tanaka welcomed the claim as “potentially the most significant disclosure in the field,” urging the public to await corroborating evidence. As of now, no independent verification of Morrison’s access or the alleged documents exists, and the Vatican’s silence continues to fuel debate. Should the Church indeed be preparing for such an unprecedented event, the process would likely unfold through careful theological deliberation, diplomatic channels, and, ultimately, a public statement that balances faith with empirical reality. Until concrete proof emerges, the claim remains an intriguing, yet unsubstantiated, piece of the broader conversation about humanity’s place in a possibly populated universe.
