Like fans worldwide, Raelians have mourned the death of Michael Jackson, who in 1992 was one of the first individuals to be named Raelian Honorary Guide for his actions promoting world peace.

Rael, spiritual leader of the Raelian Movement, has expressed condolences to the Jackson family, whom he met last December in Las Vegas. The occasion was a special event celebrating the 35th anniversary of the creation of the Raelian Movement.

“Considering all the good things Michael did on Earth for peace and love, I’m sure he is alive today on the Elohim's Eternal-Life Planet,” Rael said in a statement released today.

His comment referenced important tenets of the Raelian philosophy, which claims that all life forms on Earth were created by the Elohim, highly advanced human scientists from another planet who were mistaken for Gods by our ancestors and who have the capacity to recreate individuals, complete with their full identity, thanks to their advanced cloning technology. In addition, Rael’s statement implies that Michael Jackson is among the few humans from Earth to be so cloned, and will return to Earth with the Elohim “when humanity has finally decided to welcome them back.”