What Have the Modern Saints Said About Extraterrestrials?

Saint Paisios the Athonite

When Saint Paisios was asked whether extraterrestrials exist, he replied:

"You should know that all these things are demonic. They take on various forms. There is no life on another planet. In the last days, do not look at the sky, because you may be deceived by the false signs that will appear there. You will be deceived and led astray."

According to this teaching, any belief in extraterrestrials among Orthodox Christians is unacceptable. Extraterrestrials are demons, fallen angels who have fallen into sin. There is no other civilization. God created this world for mankind.

Saint Porphyrios

One day, some young children, students at a school, approached Saint Porphyrios and asked him whether it was true that extraterrestrials existed.

The Saint answered:

"All these things, you should know, are imaginary and demonic. There is no life on another planet."

Elder Gabriel of Georgia

Speaking about the last days, Saint Gabriel said, among other things:

"In the days of the Antichrist, the world will expect salvation from outer space. This will be the greatest trick of the devil. Humanity will seek help from extraterrestrials, unaware that they are actually demons."

Elder Cleopa Ilie

One night, after midnight, I was in my cave and had finished the Midnight Office when, suddenly, I heard an extremely loud noise.

I thought the whole earth was shaking. I went outside to see what was making that noise. But when I opened the door of my cave, I saw a bright light outside, and within it, a copper-colored vessel with many wheels.

A tall man stepped out of it. He had large eyes and a dark, frightening face. He abruptly asked me:

"What are you looking for here?"

At that moment, I remembered what our Holy Fathers teach us: if you have the Holy Mysteries, you have Christ present with you.

I had Holy Communion kept in a small container inside the hollow trunk of a tree in my cave.

When I saw this demonic apparition, I quickly went inside. I took the Holy Gifts into my hands and prayed:

"Lord Jesus Christ, do not abandon me!"

When I came outside again, I saw the figure moving away through the power of Christ.

Beside my cave there was a deep ravine, into which this unclean spirit fell. But as it reached the edge of the ravine, it turned itself and the vessel around three times. Then it plunged into the ravine with a tremendous crash.

The sound of that crash continued ringing in my ears until the following night, for a full twenty-four hours.

The Church's Warning

The Church warns against UFO cults and New Age ideas that deify extraterrestrial beings and attempt to replace faith in Jesus Christ.

Η Μεταμόρφωση του Ιησού

 

Ελληνικά (Greek)

Και μετὰ ἡμέρας παραλαμβάνει ὁ Ἰησοῦς τὸν Πέτρον καὶ Ἰάκωβον καὶ Ἰωάννην τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτῶν, καὶ ἀναφέρει αὐτοὺς εἰς ὄρος ὑψηλὸν κατ' ἰδίαν·

καὶ μετεμορφώθη ἔμπροσθεν αὐτῶν, καὶ ἔλαμψεν τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ ὡς ὁ ἥλιος, τὰ δὲ ἱμάτια αὐτοῦ ἐγένετο λευκὰ ὡς τὸ φῶς.

Καὶ ἰδοὺ ὤφθησαν αὐτοῖς Μωϋσῆς καὶ Ἠλίας μετ' αὐτοῦ συλλαλοῦντες.

Ἀποκριθεὶς δὲ ὁ Πέτρος εἶπε τῷ Ἰησοῦ· Κύριε, καλόν ἐστιν ἡμᾶς ὧδε εἶναι· εἰ θέλεις, ποιήσωμεν ὧδε τρεῖς σκηνάς, σοὶ μίαν καὶ Μωϋσεί μίαν καὶ μίαν Ἠλίᾳ.

Ἔτι αὐτοῦ λαλοῦντος ἰδοὺ νεφέλη φωτεινὴ ἐπεσκίασεν αὐτούς, καὶ ἰδοὺ φωνὴ ἐκ τῆς νεφέλης λέγουσα· Οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ υἱός μου ὁ ἀγαπητός, ἐν ᾧ εὐδόκησα· αὐτοῦ ἀκούετε.

Καὶ ἀκούσαντες οἱ μαθηταὶ ἔπεσαν ἐπὶ πρόσωπον αὐτῶν καὶ ἐφοβήθησαν σφόδρα.

Καὶ προσῆλθεν ὁ Ἰησοῦς καὶ ἁψάμενος αὐτῶν εἶπεν· Ἐγέρθητε καὶ μὴ φοβεῖσθε.

Ἐπάραντες δὲ τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς αὐτῶν οὐδένα εἶδον εἰ μὴ τὸν Ἰησοῦν μόνον.

Русский (Russian)

По спустя шесть дней, взял Иисус Петра, Иакова и Иоанна, брата его, и возвел их на гору высокую одних,

и преобразился перед ними: и просияло лице Его, как солнце, одежды же Его сделались белыми, как свет.

И вот, явились им Моисей и Илия, с Ним беседующие.

При этом Петр сказал Иисусу: Господи! хорошо нам здесь быть; если хочешь, сделаем здесь три палатки: Тебе одну, и Моисею одну, и одну Илии.

Когда он еще говорил, се, облако светлое осенило их; и се, глас из облака говорящий: Сей есть Сын Мой Возлюбленный, в Котором Мое благоволение; Его слушайте.

И, услышав, ученики пали на лица свои и очень испугались.

Но Иисус, приступив, коснулся их и сказал: встаньте и не бойтесь.

Возведя же очи свои, они никого не увидели, кроме одного Иисуса.

中文 - 简体 (Chinese)

过了六天，耶稣带着彼得、雅各和雅各的兄弟约翰，暗暗地上了高山，

就在他们面前变了形像，脸面明亮如日头，衣裳洁白如光。

忽然，有摩西和以利亚向他们显现，同耶稣说话。

彼得对耶稣说：“主啊，我们在这里真好！你若愿意，我就在这里搭三座棚：一座为你，一座为摩西，一座为以利亚。”

说话之间，有一朵光明的云彩遮盖他们，且有声音从云彩里出来说：“这是我的爱子，我所喜悦的，你们要听他！”

门徒听见，就俯伏在地，极其害怕。

耶稣进前来，摸他们说：“起来，不要害怕！”

他们举目观看，不见一人，只见耶稣在那里。

العربية (Arabic)

وَبَعْدَ سِتَّةِ أَيَّامٍ أَخَذَ يَسُوعُ بُطْرُسَ وَيَعْقُوبَ وَيُوحَنَّا أَخَاهُ وَصَعِدَ بِهِمْ إِلَى جَبَلٍ عَالٍ مُنْفَرِدِينَ.

وَتَغَيَّرَتْ هَيْئَتُهُ قُدَّامَهُمْ، وَأَضَاءَ وَجْهُهُ كَالشَّمْسِ، وَصَارَتْ ثِيَابُهُ بَيْضَاءَ كَالنُّورِ.

وَإِذَا مُوسَى وَإِيلِيَّا قَدْ ظَهَرَا لَهُمْ يَتَكَلَّمَانِ مَعَهُ.

فَأَجَابَ بُطْرُسُ وَقَالَ لِيَسُوعَ: «يَا رَبُّ، جَيِّدٌ أَنَّنَا هَاهُنَا! فَإِنْ شِئْتَ، فَلْنَصْنَعْ هَاهُنَا ثَلاثَةَ مَظَالَّ: لَكَ وَاحِدَةٌ، وَلِمُوسَى وَاحِدَةٌ، وَلِإِيلِيَّا وَاحِدَةٌ».

وَفِيمَا هُوَ يَتَكَلَّمُ إِذَا سَحَابَةٌ نَيِّرَةٌ ظَلَّلَتْهُمْ، وَصَوْتٌ مِنَ السَّحَابَةِ قَائِلاً: «هَذَا هُوَ ابْنِي الْحَبِيبُ الَّذِي بِهِ سُرِرْتُ. لَهُ اسْمَعُوا».

وَلَمَّا سَمِعَ التَّلامِيذُ سَقَطُوا عَلَى وُجُوهِهِمْ وَخَافُوا جِدّاً.

فَجَاءَ يَسُوعُ وَلَمَسَهُمْ وَقَالَ: «قُومُوا وَلا تَخَافُوا».

فَرَفَعُوا أَعْيُنَهُمْ وَلَمْ يَرَوْا أَحَداً إِلا يَسُوعَ وَحْدَهُ.