Fr. Iannuzzi: The Church has not condemned the possibility of life throughout the cosmos

Do aliens exist? No one knows for sure. It is not an important part of Christianity. However, the idea of a demon alien deception (though popular on corners of the internet) does not reflect Church teaching.

In a recent presentation, theologian Fr. Joseph Iannuzzi addressed a growing trend on the internet: the claim that extraterrestrials are, in fact, demons in disguise. These theories—often circulated on social media platforms, forums, and pseudoscientific websites—suggest that reports of UFOs and alien encounters are part of a spiritual deception orchestrated by malevolent forces.  Such a reaction often stems from a fundamentalist mindset, which views any unexplained phenomenon outside traditional categories as inherently evil. This kind of "knee-jerk" response reflects a misunderstanding of both theology and the scientific process.

Fr. Iannuzzi, a respected expert in Catholic theology and eschatology, critiques this narrative as both theologically unsound and rooted more in fear than in faith. The Catholic Church does not teach that the existence of intelligent life beyond Earth is incompatible with faith in God and the Church has long supported scientific inquiry, including the study of the cosmos. He notes that the Vatican’s own astronomical observatory has hosted conferences on the possibility of extraterrestrial life, and that Catholic theology allows room for the idea that God’s creative activity could extend beyond Earth.

While acknowledging the possibility of spiritual deception in the world—a concept not foreign to Catholic thought—Fr. Iannuzzi cautions against conflating all unexplained aerial phenomena with demonic activity. There is a real danger in over-spiritualizing or over-mystifying things we don’t yet understand as it distracts from rational inquiry and fosters a culture of fear. Instead, he urges Christians to approach the topic with discernment, humility, and an openness to dialogue between faith and science. The idea that aliens must be demons is not only a theological overreach, but it also misrepresents the Church’s openness to exploring creation in its vastness.