Media reports of alleged threats made by Pentagon representatives against the apostolic nuncio (Vatican ambassador), using historical analogies, are false, the director of the Holy See's press office said.
“The meeting between Cardinal Christophe Pierre, former apostolic nuncio to the United States, and Pentagon Undersecretary Elbridge Colby was within the framework of the regular papal mission and served as an opportunity to exchange views on issues of mutual interest. The version reported by some media is not correct“, said the director of the Holy See's press office Matteo Bruni.
For several days, a number of media outlets and journalists on social networks have been discussing “the tense relations“ of the current US administration with Pope Leo XIV, from whom Washington supposedly expects greater loyalty given his American origins. He is a native of Chicago and is the first head of the Roman Catholic Church from the United States.
As initially reported by a journalist for The Free Press, in January the cardinal, who completed his diplomatic mission in March, visited the Pentagon, where he was reminded of a historical episode of the papacy: the Avignon Captivity of the Popes (1309-1377), when the head of the Church was completely dependent on France. The implication was that the US was a powerful country that could afford anything, and that the Vatican was better off supporting “righteous actions“ than criticizing them. The reason for the “inappropriate” The summoning of the nuncio (nunciarities usually communicate through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, not the Ministry of Defense, and less often through the offices of heads of government and state) is said to stem from a speech by Leo XIV to the diplomatic corps earlier this year. In it, the pope uttered phrases that were fairly standard for his role and position, about the need for the primacy of diplomacy, and condemned the "fashion for war". The US administration claims to have interpreted this as a criticism of the president.
On Easter (April 5), Leo XIV delivered a message rejecting the logic of power and domination. A few days earlier, he had said that domination is “foreign to the way of Jesus Christ“. This came amid calls by Pentagon Secretary Pete Hegseth for prayers for victory for American soldiers “in the name of Jesus Christ“. The Pope and all his predecessors in modern history a priori condemn wars and violence and call for peaceful dialogue.