The Vatican has been accused of covering up what it knows about unidentified flying objects (UFOs)

The filmmaker said: "If the Church is truly committed to spiritual truth and human enlightenment, then it must no longer suppress information that could fundamentally reshape our understanding of our place in the cosmos."

Lee - whose new book, 'God Versus Aliens', explores the religious aspects of UFOs - has suggested that the Catholic Church is still withholding the Third Secret of Fatima, a mysterious message supposedly delivered by an apparition to three children in Portugal in 1917.

The Church has officially released the full message, but numerous researchers insist that the truth remains concealed from the public.

Lee said: "What the children saw and described - an intense shining object, sudden weather changes, and a radiant 'being' who communicated messages - fits the classic pattern of close encounters.

"This was not the Virgin Mary. This was a non-human intelligence trying to communicate with us. And the Vatican knows it."

Lee is now calling for the next Pope to be totally transparent about the issue and to share the Vatican's knowledge of UFOs.

Lee has even suggested that some outlandish incidents described in religious texts could actually have been alien encounters.

The filmmaker - who is known for exploring links between religion, history, and extraterrestrial life - told MailOnline: "What people are seeing in the sky, they could be genuine extraterrestrial UFOs, but there's also most likely going to be secret military technology years and years ahead of what we think they've got.

"I think people in the UFO community need to be aware of that. It's not just little green men visiting, it's more complicated. I think the public deserves to know. We don't need to be protected from this information."