As per the Vatican officials who were briefed on the meeting, one of the Pentagon’s most senior officials summoned Cardinal Christophe Pierre in January and told him that the US has the military power to do “whatever it wants,” and that Pope Leo, the first American-born pontiff, “better take its side.”
The report claimed that Cardinal Christophe Pierre was summoned to the meeting by the US Under Secretary of Defence for Policy Elbridge Colby in January.
Letters from Leo confirmed that the meeting occurred — and that some Vatican officials were so worried by the Pentagon’s tactics that they cancelled preparations for Pope Leo XIV to visit the US later this year.
Vatican officials viewed the Pentagon’s reference to the Avignon Papacy as a direct threat ” to use military force against the Holy See.”
The site further stated that “as tensions escalated,” a US official “went so far as to invoke the Avignon Papacy, the period in the 1300s when the French Crown leveraged its military power to dominate the papal authority.”
According to the Free Press, Pentagon officials “picked apart the pontiff’s January speech,” which was his first State of the World Address. They apparently objected to a section in which Leo criticised Trump’s so-called Donroe Doctrine, stating, “A diplomacy that promotes dialogue and seeks consensus among all parties is being replaced by a diplomacy based on force, by either individuals or groups of allies.”
Mattia Ferraresi, a writer residing in Rome, argues that Leo’s connection with the Trump administration worsened shortly after his election on May 8, as per the Daily Beast. Leo declined the White House’s invitation to return home and celebrate America’s 250th birthday this summer.
Speaking with The Free Press, a Vatican official said, “The Pope may well never visit the United States under this administration.”
Meanwhile, a spokesperson from the US Defence Department stated that the meeting was “respectful and reasonable”. “The Free Press’s characterisation of the meeting is highly exaggerated and distorted. The meeting between Pentagon and Vatican officials was a respectful and reasonable discussion. We have nothing but the highest regard, and welcome continued dialogue with the Holy See,” the source added.
In speeches and public addresses, Pope Leo has consistently advocated for peace and diplomacy. In a Palm Sunday address on March 29, he said, “Jesus is the King of Peace, who rejects war, whom no one can use to justify war. He does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war, but rejects them.”
The issue has also stirred political reactions within the United States. Vice President JD Vance faced criticism after appearing unfamiliar with Cardinal Pierre during a media interaction, before later clarifying that he had previously met him.
“With no disrespect to the cardinal, I don’t know who Cardinal Christoph Pierre is,” the vice president said.
When a reporter confirmed that Pierre was Pope Leo XIV’s then-ambassador in the United States, Vance swiftly corrected himself. “Oh, okay, okay, I do. I’ve met him before. Sorry. I just didn’t remember the name. I’ve never seen this reporting. I’d like to actually talk to Cardinal Christoph Pierre and, frankly, to our people to figure out what actually happened,” he added.
Meanwhile, the Vatican has continued to emphasize its independent moral stance, urging global leaders to prioritise peace.
