The Vatican has announced it is seeking extraterrestrial life, in hopes of finding new life forms to convert over to the church. At a recent conference on astrobiology, Catholic leaders expressed an eagerness to determine if intelligent life exists on other planets, and if it does, what missionary strategy can be implemented to contact them.

The church gave the conference last week to end the long-time speculation that it was setting its sights on the stars. Last February, high-ranking bishops were seen leaving a remote installation in the Nevada desert, escorted by Air Force personnel. In May, a delegation of NASA scientists visited Rome, even meeting briefly with the Pope.

This week it was revealed that the Vatican has been quietly developing a deep-space program at an undisclosed location in Italy, with the Pope’s full blessings. The church has been pouring billions of dollars into the program, hoping to launch manned space missions by 2025. The church plans to deploy 3-stage rockets similar to the Saturn V launchers used by the Apollo program in the 1960s. There are reports of several dozen priests being recruited for the space program, with many currently in training.

“Life is sacred, on earth or anywhere else,” said Cardinal Joseph Eldredge, from his office in Rome. “If sophisticated beings exist somewhere else in the universe, we need to reach out to them. The church has a long history of accommodating aliens throughout the world. We have a two thousand year tradition of converting the godless heathens around the globe, so it’s only natural we should bring our message to all the godless creatures elsewhere. Jesus loves all the little flying-saucer people!”

In what has been called “Operation Gelgamek,” the Roman Catholic Church is asking its members around the world to “get involved in astronomy and keep an eye on the sky,” urging people to buy telescopes and spend evenings gazing at the stars.

“You just never know who’s going to spot something,” added Eldredge. “A few hundred million faithful followers armed with high-powered optics ought to turn up something.”

Meanwhile, reports have surfaced suggesting that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is proposing a similar program at a remote desert location in Utah.