How does a Catholic come to grips with UFOs & UAPs?

The Catholic Church officially defines the preternatural as a distinct category of reality that bridges the natural order of physical creation and the strictly supernatural reality of God. Grounded in the works of scholastic theologians, particularly Saint Thomas Aquinas, Catholic dogmatic theology distinguishes between the natural made up of the material laws of the universe, the preternatural made up of powers that surpass human nature but remain within the limits of created nature, such as angelic or demonic activity, and the supernatural made up of realities belonging exclusively to the uncreated nature of God, such as sanctifying grace and the Beatific Vision.

Within Catholic tradition, the preternatural is primarily discussed in two theological frameworks: the original state of humanity before the Fall the "preternatural gifts, demonology, and angelology which is the operations of purely spiritual creatures. Let’s now explore the structural definition of the preternatural, the loss of preternatural gifts after original sin, and the Church's modern discernment regarding preternatural manifestations.

A Theological Triad: Natural, Preternatural, and Supernatural

To understand the preternatural, one must first explore the three-tiered taxonomy formulated in Catholic scholasticism. The Catholic Answers Encyclopedia outlines these distinctions based on a given entity's inherent power and structural scope. From the Latin praeter naturam or "beyond nature.” Exceeds human capacity but remains limited to the powers of created spirits. Angels and demons usually have infused knowledge, humans can fall to demonic obsession, and both can cause human levitation.

Supernatural  is from the Latin super naturam or "above nature.” Wholly uncreated realities that exceed the capacity of all possible created beings. These are things attributed to God alone such as sanctifying grace, creation ex nihilo, and the Resurrection. Saint Thomas Aquinas asserted in the Summa Theologiae that while a miracle performed by God is strictly supernatural, marvels performed by spiritual creatures are preternatural because they merely manipulate natural forces in ways that human eyes cannot comprehend. Because angels and demons are pure spirits, they are not constrained by physical space, allowing them to exert localized telekinetic control over matter. This is not an alteration of physical law by divine decree, but rather the execution of a higher, created angelic intellect.

The Preternatural Gifts of Original Justice

In Catholic anthropology, Adam and Eve were created in a state of Original Justice. Alongside the supernatural gift of sanctifying grace, God endowed them with three distinct preternatural gifts. As noted by the theologian Father John Hardon, these gifts are deemed preternatural because they are not necessary components of basic human nature, yet they do not elevate human souls directly into the divine life like grace does. Instead, they perfect human nature within its own sphere.

1.      Infused Knowledge: The first couple possessed a comprehensive understanding of moral law, natural sciences, and divine truths without needing to learn through gradual, laborious human experience.

2.      Integrity (Freedom from Concupiscence): A perfect alignment of human desires with reason. Lower sensory appetites and physical impulses were completely submissive to the intellect and the will.

3.      Bodily Immortality and Impassibility: Absolute immunity from physical suffering, bodily decay, biological diseases, and death.

Demonology and Preternatural Manifestations

Outside of Edenic theology, the preternatural is central to the Catholic Church's framework on spiritual warfare and exorcism. The Church teaches that Satan and his demons are real, fallen angelic beings who retained their natural spiritual faculties after their fall from heaven. Because their intellect and power are angelic, their interactions with our physical world manifest as preternatural phenomena. The Church separates these preternatural actions into distinct categories of extraordinary demonic activity:

1.      Demonic Infestation: Preternatural activity tied to physical locations, objects, or animals, often manifesting as unexplained sounds, moving objects, or temperature drops.

2.      Demonic Obsession: A relentless preternatural assault on an individual's interior life, consisting of sudden, violent, and unyielding dark thoughts or psychological terrors that exceed normal mental illnesses.

3.      Demonic Oppression: Preternatural physical attacks on an individual, resulting in unexplained physical wounds, geometric branding marks, or sudden illness.

4.      Demonic Possession: The most severe manifestation, where a demonic entity temporarily seizes control over a person's physical body.

The Rituale Romanum or Roman Ritual for exorcisms requires priests to carefully distinguish between psychiatric illnesses and true preternatural possession. Signs of authentic preternatural activity include speaking fluently in unlearned foreign languages which is called xenoglossy, demonstrating physical strength far exceeding the person's size, and revealing hidden, distant, or secret facts that the individual could not possibly know through natural means. While these are distinct indicators that when compared to modern UFO, UAP encounters that raise other interesting questions about reality and how the spiritual realm interacts withhumanities 3D corporeal experience.

UFOs – UAPs - Angels or Demons

Religious studies professor Diana Pasulka argues that some reported UFO encounters share striking similarities with historical accounts of demonic or supernatural experiences, including telepathic communication, unexplained knowledge, poltergeist-like disturbances, and lingering paranormal activity known as the “hitchhiker effect.” However, she emphasizes that these similarities do not prove UFOs are demons; rather, they raise the possibility that people across different eras may interpret comparable encounters through the religious or technological concepts available to them. While figures such as JD Vance identify alleged aliens as demons through a Christian framework, Pasulka takes a more cautious approach, suggesting that UFO sightings, hauntings, religious visions, and encounters with non-human intelligences may be unrelated, or they may represent different interpretations of similar unexplained phenomena.

Modern Discernment and Ecclesiastical Directives

The Catholic Church maintains a highly cautious, scientifically informed approach toward any reports of preternatural or supernatural activity. In May 2024, the Vatican’s Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith (DDF) released updated protocols titled Norms for Proceeding in the Discernment of Alleged Supernatural Phenomena. These updated norms heavily restrict local bishops or regional councils from declaring an event to be definitively supernatural or preternatural in origin. Instead, investigations prioritize safety, mental health evaluations, and logical elimination to determine if a phenomenon is merely a fraud, a psychological anomaly, or a natural event. The default ruling issued by the Vatican is typically a Nihil Obstat meaning "nothing obstructs.” This designation permits public devotion without certifying that the physical phenomenon was caused by a miraculous divine or angelic intervention.

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References

Kippes, A. (1954). The Immaculate Conception and the preternatural gifts. Marian Studies, 5(1), 186–199. Available at eCommons University of Dayton.

Orsi, M. P. (2006). Identifying demons. Homiletic & Pastoral Review, 107(3), 58–63. Archived online by Catholic Culture.

Pohle, J. (1912). Supernatural gift. In The Catholic encyclopedia. Robert Appleton Company. Available at New Advent. (Note: This classic entry meticulously defines the theological boundaries distinguishing the natural, preternatural, and supernatural).

Shipman, A. J. (1908). Demonic possession. In The Catholic encyclopedia. Robert Appleton Company. Available at New Advent. (Note: This entry reviews the Church's criteria for evaluating preternatural signs versus natural medical conditions).

Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. (1975). Christian faith and demonology. Holy See. Available at The Vatican Archive. (Note: This official magisterial document details the reality of preternatural evil while warning against superstition and spiritual dualism).