Monsignor Corrado Balducci, a theologian member of the Vatican Curia (governing body), and an insider close to the Pope, has gone on Italian national television several times, including recent months, to proclaim that extraterrestrial contact is a real phenomenon.

Balducci provided an analysis of extraterrestrials that he feels is consistent with the Catholic
Church's understanding of theology. Monsignor Balducci emphasizes that extraterrestrial encounters "are NOT demonic, they are NOT due to psychological impairment, they are NOT a case of entity attachment, but these encounters deserve to be studied carefully."

 Since Monsignor Balducci is a demonology expert and consultant to the Vatican , and since the Catholic
Church has historically demonized many new phenomena that were poorly understood, his stating that the Church does not censure these encounters is all the more remarkable. Balducci revealed that the Vatican is closely following this phenomenon quietly. Originally surmised that the Vatican is receiving much
information about extraterrestrials and their contacts with humans from its Nunciatures (embassies) in various countries.

But subsequent information indicated that the Monsignor has gotten his cases from other sources. Monsignor Balducci is a member of a group which acts as consultants to the Vatican on various matters concerning humans in possible contact with supernatural beings. As such, the matter of extraterrestrial encounters would fall within their purview, and possibly as well the spiritual significance of the emerging general
Parallel information from National Security Council scientist Dr. Michael Wolf, a member of the NSC's SSG subcommittee for managing the UFO phenomenon, as well as from noted author and Vatican expert Father Malachi Martin, suggests that the Vatican is concerned that it will have a major doctrinal updating situation on its hands when extraterrestrial contact becomes authoritatively announced by world governments over
the next several years.