Text taken from the Telegram channel of zovgrad
Commentary by Russian military journalist is in italics.
[ColonelCassad] The Pentagon Threatened the Vatican After Pope Leo XIV Criticized the White House. U.S. Defense Department officials threatened a Vatican representative at a closed meeting in January, The New Republic reports.
| If it was a private meeting, how does the New Republic know? This looks like another case of possibly imaginary, but definitely hostile, anonymous sources. |
The pontiff stated that "diplomacy, which promotes dialogue and seeks consensus among all parties, is being replaced by diplomacy based on force," and that "war is back in fashion, and the zeal for war is spreading." The White House interpreted these words as a hostile message directed at the US presidential administration.
The Pentagon meeting was attended by Elbridge Colby, Undersecretary for Political Affairs, and Cardinal Christophe Pierre, the Vatican's representative to the United States. During the conversation, Colby stated that the United States possesses military power "enabled to do whatever it pleases in the world" and warned that the Catholic Church "would be better off siding with them."
Another Pentagon official mentioned the Avignon Papacy—the period from 1309 to 1377, when popes were forced to reside in France and were subservient to the French kings. In early February, it was announced that the Pope was not planning to visit the United States to participate in events marking the 250th anniversary of the country's independence.
The Pentagon denied any strained relations with the Vatican, calling the meeting a "respectful and reasonable discussion." However, according to The New Republic, the tone of the conversation was clearly threatening, and the mention of Avignon directly hinted at the possibility of a repeat of the historical situation in which the pontiff loses his independence and is forced to submit to secular authority.
The Vatican has not yet officially commented on reports of pressure from the Pentagon. Observers note that the incident could lead to a cooling of relations between the US and the Holy See, which were already tense after Leo XIV repeatedly called for peace in the Middle East and criticized the military operations of the Donald Trump administration.
It's impossible not to recall Stalin's famous aphorism about the Pope and the number of divisions. And the US approach itself perfectly demonstrates how American imperialism now views the mechanisms of global control exclusively through intimidation and threats. Many other familiar instruments of control and influence have simply ceased to work. Therefore, "submit or we will kill you."