Former Vatican Adviser Claims The New Pope Might Lead The Vatican's Disclosure On Alien Life

A former adviser to the Vatican has claimed that Pope Leo XIV could be the religious figure who finally brings the Catholic Church into the global conversation about extraterrestrial life. Daniel Sheehan, a constitutional attorney and longtime advocate for government transparency on UFOs, made the claim during an appearance on NewsNation's 'Banfield'.

"I think that he is going to be the disclosure pope," Daniel told host Ashleigh Banfield.

Daniel previously served as general counsel to the US Jesuit headquarters in Washington and now heads the New Paradigm Institute, which focuses on the study of unidentified aerial phenomena (UAPs). His comments suggest that the newly elected Pope may soon play a key role in reshaping public and theological discussions around the possibility of intelligent non-human life.

You can watch the full interview below, courtesy of NewsNation's Banfield...

Born Robert Francis Prevost in Chicago in 1955, the 69-year-old Pope Leo XIV made history as the first American to lead the Catholic Church. Despite his American roots, he's often described as having a deep connection with Latin America. He moved to Peru in 1985, where he worked as a missionary with marginalised communities and even gained Peruvian citizenship.

His work included roles as a parish priest, seminary teacher, and eventually Bishop of Chiclayo. More recently, he served in Rome as prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops, a powerful role that involved overseeing the appointment of bishops worldwide.

Interestingly, the choice of the papal name "Leo" has sparked speculation due to historical precedent. The last Pope Leo, Leo XIII, founded the Vatican Observatory in the late 19th century, reflecting the Church's enduring interest in astronomy and science.

According to Daniel, Pope Leo's appointment may signal a turning point. "In the same way that we are going to have a disclosure of what the American government knows about this in the next handful of years," Daniel said, "I think the Vatican is also preparing."

He believes Pope Leo is someone who wants "to bring together science and theology to be able to bring the Catholic Church into the 21st century so we can begin to adjust the institutions of our planet to cope with the reality that there's an extraterrestrial nonhuman civilization."

Daniel also recalled being asked to approach the Vatican about UFOs during the 1970s on behalf of then-President Jimmy Carter. Carter famously filed a UFO sighting report in 1973, four years before taking office. At the time, he was Governor of Georgia and observed a bright light in the sky along with several other witnesses.

During the NewsNation interview, Daniel argued that disclosure of extraterrestrial life wouldn't undermine religious belief but might actually strengthen it. When Banfield asked whether alien contact would contradict Catholic doctrine, Daniel said it would actually deepen our understanding of spiritual consciousness.

He pointed to a 2009 Vatican statement which acknowledged the likelihood of discovering life beyond Earth and urged philosophical and theological engagement with its implications.

Daniel believes that such a shift won't be limited to Catholicism. "The people that are listening to this program are going to be alive when this disclosure is made," he said. "Not only by the United States government, but by the Vatican and by the leaders of the Jewish faith, and in the Hebrew, the Hindu faith, the Buddhist faith."

He also commented on the testimony of former intelligence official David Grusch, who claimed under oath that the US government has retrieved "nonhuman" craft and biologics. Daniel says that over 40 classified witnesses have testified in private to the Senate Intelligence Committee with similar claims.

Whether the Church will soon take an official stance on the matter remains to be seen - but according to Daniel, that moment may be closer than many think.