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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsOh My! The Pentagon Threatened Pope Leo XIV's Ambassador With the Avignon Papacy
https://www.thelettersfromleo.com/p/the-pentagon-threatened-pope-leo[UPDATE at 4:33 PM EDT: Letters from Leo can now independently confirm The Free Press report that the meeting took place and that some Vatican officials were so alarmed by the Pentagons tactics that they shelved plans for Pope Leo XIV to visit the United States later this year.
Other officials in the Vatican saw the Pentagons reference to an Avignon papacy as a threat to use military force against the Holy See.]
In January, behind closed doors at the Pentagon, Under Secretary of War for Policy Elbridge Colby summoned Cardinal Christophe Pierre Pope Leo XIVs then-ambassador to the United States and delivered a lecture.
America, Colby and his colleagues told the cardinal, has the military power to do whatever it wants in the world. The Catholic Church had better take its side.
As tempers rose, one U.S. official reached for a fourteenth-century weapon and invoked the Avignon Papacy, the period when the French Crown used military force to bend the bishop of Rome to its will.
Nicole mentioned this
mercuryblues
(16,446 posts)These people are insane.
malaise
(296,562 posts)See yah Slobby!
BonnieJW
(3,127 posts)rampartd
(4,704 posts)Wednesdays
(22,730 posts)And Ireland. Continental Europe, maybe not so much, but there are enough devout Catholics there that it won't be good for him there, either.
róisín_dubh
(12,347 posts)save for the knuckle-dragging, mouth-breathing far right pretty much despise the US leadership at this stage anyway. No one is happy with Vance fucking around in Hungary either
flashman13
(2,443 posts)You might have missed that Catholics were pointedly told they were not welcome at Hogsbreath's Easter service.
calimary
(90,208 posts)ANY Catholic Church would have already flung their doors wide open.
ALL are welcome at The Lords table. Or at least thats what I learned in Catholic school. Jesus forgave sinners as He hung on the cross, near death. Why would He leave anybody out, now?
Ms. Toad
(38,692 posts)A number of us were curious about other denominations and decided to attend each other's services. The Catholics were forbidden from attending any other services, and it was made clear we weren't welcome to attend their (even though none of ours (Quaker, Baptist, Methodist, Presbyterian, and Lutheran) forbid it)
flashman13
(2,443 posts)People there went out of their way to make me feel welcome.
Ms. Toad
(38,692 posts)It was just the Catholics who both excluded others and were not allowed to attend other churches. This was in the 60s and early 70s. By the late 70s/early 80s it had changed, at least as to welcoming others to attend their services.
Wednesdays
(22,730 posts)My father was a devout Catholic, and when he went to a Jesuit high school, he suggested to the music director that they should sing Bach's St. Matthew's Passion in choir. The choir director was horrified. Needless to say, Bach was forbidden at the school.
Times have changed since then, however.
calimary
(90,208 posts)Yeah. You didnt talk in church. And you went to MASS. PERIOD. You did NOT investigate other faiths services. What I remember is that there was a bit more relaxed attitude toward that one. There were wealthy people and famous people whose kids went to that school. And a lot of those parents had all kinds of mixed marriages.
And on top of that, a close friend of mine in the older grades was a Greek Orthodox kid. First time I a) heard of that religion to begin with, and b) actually knew somebody who subscribed to that religion.
FakeNoose
(41,822 posts)I grew up in the 1950's and 60's and went to Catholic schools for most of that time. We were told that we could go to other churches and other religious services, but we couldn't "participate" in their services. In other words, the communion that is shared in the Protestant churches isn't the same thing as the Catholic communion, so we couldn't take part in that. (It was a mortal sin, we were told.)
The one thing that I recall from going to my friends' churches was that their Protestant services involved a lot more Bible-reading, but we Catholics had better songs. Nowadays it's the opposite ... the Catholics are reading more Bible passages but the Protestants have better songs.
Ms. Toad
(38,692 posts)But that experience crossed two states (and is confirmed regarding the same time frame by my formerly Cathilic spouse)
flashman13
(2,443 posts)B.See
(8,552 posts)These cultists would shoot their own mothers if Trump/maga told them to.
Think that's an exaggeration? Ask that Texas couple whose unvaccinated daughter died of measles this time last year.
No regrets. God's will they said.
Sick.
Marcuse
(9,033 posts)

hunter
(40,741 posts)He'd ban the Catholic Church, seize their assets, and declare himself God's chosen leader of the new Church of America.
FakeNoose
(41,822 posts)Henry had to have a male heir to the throne, and his first wife Catherine of Aragon gave him a daughter Mary but no sons. That was when Henry took the matter into his own hands, and he ultimately created the Church of England. Grabbing the properties and financial assets of the Catholic Church didn't occur to him until later on.
SunSeeker
(58,323 posts)He is completely insane.
ananda
(35,246 posts)Pope Leo is wise to stay out of the USA right now.
Marcuse
(9,033 posts)ananda
(35,246 posts)Remember that picture of Trump as the pope?
SunSeeker
(58,323 posts)vapor2
(4,593 posts)BlueKota
(5,383 posts)are proud of themselves now the Catholic Church is being threatened.
mucifer
(25,685 posts)paleotn
(22,318 posts)During holy week? No service for Catholics of any stripe. Protestants only.
BlueKota
(5,383 posts)don't even consider Catholics
Christian. A Jewish friend of my sister asked her, if she considered herself a Christian. She said "no", that she may not go to church, but she still considers herself a Catholic. She said, and I agree we in no way want to be mistaken with the perverted Maga brand of Christianity.
Im sure my super religious Catholic brother and sister-in-law hate the pope because he actually follows the words of JC, therefore, he is woke! Theyre, meaning a lot of my holier than thou family members and exclassmates, total hypocrites who, obviously, were reading a different bible than I was, and believe the American Jesus would think their dear leader is righteous in his actions against the horrible Muslim infidels. Its the new Crusades, dont cha know. 🤮
BlueKota
(5,383 posts)For the first time in a long time, I am proud of the Church I was raised in.
ShazzieB
(22,677 posts)I could feel my temper rising when I read about Schlump threatening the Vatican.
Dulcinea
(10,140 posts)I liked Pope Francis & I like Pope Leo. They represent what Christianity should be.
BlueKota
(5,383 posts)what was written in the New Testament. While these Magat religious zealots seem to want to go back to the eye for an eye Old Testament mentality. In my opinion they're trying to eliminate Jesus Christ from Christianity.
yourout
(8,837 posts)Francis and Leo.
My Mrs is a Lutheran (the evangelical brand not the mean ones that won't allow women as clergy)
And I occasionally go with her and they have a very good female pastor and if I was going to be a regular it would be there.
Very welcoming and inclusive.
BlueKota
(5,383 posts)A priest, who originally was a deacon when I was in grade school, had his title of Priest taken away from him, because he was too inclusive. He founded his own Church after. He performed LGBTQ marriages, and he ordained women as Priests. A woman is now the Pastor as Father Callhan has since passed away.
I actually would like to go there, but unfortunately I don't drive and it's too far from me. I did get a chance to talk to Father a number of years ago, when I was going through a rough spot. He helped me a lot. To me he was always a living example of what being a disciple of Christ should mean.
FakeNoose
(41,822 posts)Pope John XXIII was modern also, and he tried hard to bring the Catholic Church into modern times. It was under John XXIII that the Latin mass was dropped and "vernacular" local-language masses were initiated. A lot of priests were threatened by that change but it had to happen.
Now here we are 60+ years later, and everyone sees the wisdom of that change. The next Pope was Paul who was conservative, and he tried to stop the modernism. There have been swings back and forth but each swing forward, it goes a little more modern each time. I believe Pope Leo will really make a difference.
maxsolomon
(38,840 posts)Not in their Fox Bubbles.
They wouldn't understand the threat even if they did.
underpants
(196,694 posts)They summoned the Vaticans ambassador .to browbeat him.
a kennedy
(36,075 posts)AND THAT WAS IT. THE ABORTION STANCE!!!! Needless to say I DONT HAVE A WHOLE LOT OF TIME FOR THEM. 🤬 🤬 🤬 🤬 🤬 🤬 🤬 🤬 🤬 🤬
rurallib
(64,700 posts)ShazzieB
(22,677 posts)I dont believe for a movement that he gives a fat rat's ass about abortion, but SO many people fell for that.
SheilaAnn
(10,738 posts)ShazzieB
(22,677 posts)A bunch, I'm sure.
JBTaurus83
(1,480 posts)As long as he is an effective Trojan Horse for their hellhole version of Earth.
OhioBack2Blue
(131 posts)....that orange walking diarrhea has caused himself??? Dozens.
2. Rich women will always be able to abort.
3. The Bible itself does not explicitly mention or forbid abortion. Full stop.
Wednesdays
(22,730 posts)Numbers, chapter 5.
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Numbers%205&version=NIV
slightlv
(7,812 posts)my brother and his entire family voted for the POS because of GUNS! Like, the Democrats ever did anything that negated the "free for all, wild west" environment around guns in the U.S. But they'll tell you tooth and nail that if Democrats ever got into office they'd take away everybody's guns. Stupid. Sis feels like I do... so politics, even just names, are off limits when Bro is near, which isn't too often. He's tried to reach out a few times to us since our Mom died last year, but he's even more of a loner than I am. We try to welcome him as much as possible in order to keep some semblance of the family together, but it's hard and not real comfy. LOL! Since trump put himself in the Oval this time around, we've not heard one word from Bro about this admin. Something tells me he may be coming around to our way of thinking, since trump is now threatening Medicare, SS, etc., and my brother just started drawing his. Funny how that works, eh?
3catwoman3
(29,493 posts)...and just fakes it because it's a vote getter.
After all #PEDOnald wanted to have Tiffany aborted.
RVN VET71
(3,199 posts)But, as saith John Cleese in The Holy Grail, "He got better."
And more about Avignon: in 1409 there were actually 3 popes. What a mess. One on Rome, one in Avignon, one in Pisa -- causing the tower to lean.
Sneederbunk
(17,545 posts)wnylib
(26,153 posts)about US policies. I hope that Leo is not intimidated into silence. The US military would refuse to carry out orders against the Vatican, just as they recently did in the threats against Iran.
malaise
(296,562 posts)These past few days.
Volaris
(11,726 posts)Also, I fucking PROMISE YOU that 'conversation'...came from that wannabe crusader nut Hegseth; this meeting was his idea.
Hell soon understand the stakes.😀
MustLoveBeagles
(16,655 posts)niyad
(132,821 posts)Deuxcents
(27,103 posts)And what the history of that is. What arrogance from the Pentagon
malaise
(296,562 posts)Join the line😀
My mum would have been good for this one.
Wednesdays
(22,730 posts)The French king, ca. 14th century, didn't like the pope. So he merely appointed his own pope, who resided in Avignon.
Passages
(4,210 posts)See that, a new low almost daily.
Good on the Pope and his peeps! He refused to be intimidated and certainly wasn't going to be used.
3825-87867
(1,965 posts)the stupid imposition.
rubbersole
(11,236 posts)How he still has somewhere near 30% support on anything is baffling. Corporate media isn't going to be able to keep putting any more lipstick on this pig.
AverageOldGuy
(3,952 posts). . . " Under Secretary of War for Policy " -- he is " Under Secretary of DEFENSE for Policy."
valleyrogue
(2,751 posts)yorkster
(3,865 posts)This mtng. may have been Hegseth's idea or Elbridge Colby may have cooked it up.
Staggering.
PuraVidaDreamin
(4,639 posts)That could work some freaking miracle right now!
Trueblue1968
(19,267 posts)I don know the exact historical details but in centuries past, violent deeds have occurred against enemies of the Church.
I just can't remember.
AverageOldGuy
(3,952 posts)Here's a link to Wikipedia:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avignon_Papacy
Here's the AI response:
Apparently the French Emperor (King ?) was pissed off at the Church, so, when a French cardinal was elected Pope, the French crown forced him to remain in Avignon, France, and several successive French Popes were forced to remain in Avignon.
Not being Catholic, all I know is what I read on the 'net. However, as best I can tell, the "Avignon Papacy" is a warning about the dangers of mixing religion and politics.
Deuxcents
(27,103 posts)Is it because the Pope is anti war and not siding with this invasion of Iran?
malaise
(296,562 posts)MustLoveBeagles
(16,655 posts)AverageOldGuy
(3,952 posts)https://www.newsweek.com/jd-vance-reacts-report-us-official-issued-threat-vatican-ambassador-11802350
Vance, speaking in Hungary, was asked about reports first shared by The Free Press that claimed Cardinal Christophe Pierre was told in January that the Vatican and the Catholic Church should get on board with the Trump administration's military tactics.
Deuxcents
(27,103 posts)underpants
(196,694 posts)
niyad
(132,821 posts)Wednesdays
(22,730 posts)llmart
(17,635 posts)Except Jonathan Winters was a really funny guy. There is nothing funny about this fraud.
sop
(18,772 posts)dedl67
(229 posts)Dulcinea
(10,140 posts)He's enough of a shameless opportunist to do it. He has no ideology except power.
littlemissmartypants
(33,898 posts)After all, the Pope's not a Christian Nationalist is he?
That would make him the enemy.
Irish_Dem
(81,601 posts)That wasn't on my bingo card.
I'm slipping.
no_hypocrisy
(55,015 posts)underpants
(196,694 posts)
MustLoveBeagles
(16,655 posts)Crowman2009
(3,548 posts)Cpl. Jackass Dickface Vance being one of them. I seriously had an opportunity to prevent him from becoming VP. But like the butterfly effect, I checked the wrong box with regards to my choice of duty station and didn't bother to re-enlist in 2002 which was a year before that fucker went to boot camp.
Scrivener7
(59,684 posts)who knows exactly how much power he wields.
patphil
(9,107 posts)The Satan in the White House and his Demonic Secretary of WAR have threatened the Pope, and all of Catholicism.
The Catholic Church has already taken it's side; the side of Jesus. They have taken the side of spiritual truth and justice; the side of love.
So now we can see Hegseth in his true form as the beast he truly is. The Trump government is evil incarnate.
Joinfortmill
(21,279 posts)MerryBlooms
(12,300 posts)Cirsium
(3,963 posts)This isn't a parody?
Emrys
(9,148 posts)it just proves that happened months ago.
I'm surprised they didn't propose Vance as Leo's usurper, what with his liking for fabrics and all.
blue-wave
(5,272 posts)Emrys
(9,148 posts)FFWWWAAAARRRRR
blue-wave
(5,272 posts)look so good sitting there with his glitter eyeliner.
blue-wave
(5,272 posts)are going to inform their congregations of this? I won't hold my breath waiting for the announcements.
DBoon
(25,032 posts)Buzz cook
(2,900 posts)France didn't like the Italian pope so they installed a French pope in Avignon.
So Trump is thinking of a split from Rome for American (maga) Catholics.
Good luck with that.
Emrys
(9,148 posts)Spirit of the age and all that.
Vance could take on that role, leaving the Antichrist for Trump. That should keep the Evangelicals happy.
red dog 1
(33,144 posts)Every single day we are reminded that the Trump Crime Family is diabolically evil.
vapor2
(4,593 posts)Love this Pope as Leo was my dad's name
DFW
(60,264 posts)You's think he could find something better to do. But I guess one could say that about EVERYTHING he does.
malaise
(296,562 posts)Wednesdays
(22,730 posts)I wouldn't put it past TSF one bit.
Mblaze
(1,077 posts)The Pentagon is drunk with power.
Figarosmom
(12,250 posts)LetMyPeopleVote
(180,310 posts)It was so bad that Pope Leo changed his plans to travel to the U.S.
This thin-skinned mafia administration is insane.
— Mrs. Betty Bowers (@mrsbettybowers.bsky.social) 2026-04-08T22:50:43.514Z
newrepublic.com/post/208820/...
https://newrepublic.com/post/208820/pentagon-threatened-pope-criticized-donald-trump
Days after Pope Leo XIV delivered his State of the World speech, Undersecretary of Defense for Policy Elbridge Colby summoned Cardinal Christophe Pierre, the Vaticans U.S. representative, to a closed-door Pentagon meeting for a bitter lecture.
The United States, Colby said, according to a blistering new report by The Free Press, has the military power to do whatever it wants in the world. The Catholic Church had better take its side.
One U.S. official present at the meeting brought up the Avignon papacy, a period in the 14th century in which the French monarchy bent the Catholic Church into submission, ordering an attack on Pope Boniface VIII that led to his downfall and subsequent death and forcing the papacy to relocate from Rome to Avignon, a region inside France......
The Vatican was so alarmed by the Pentagons warning that Pope Leo cancelled his plans to visit the U.S. later in the year, reported Hale, who noted that many in the Vatican saw the Pentagons reference to an Avignon papacy as a threat to use military force against the Holy See.
Tensions had not been mended by February, when the Holy See rejected the White Houses invitation to host Pope Leothe religious orders first U.S.-born pontifffor Americas 250th anniversary in July. Instead, the Catholic leader has arranged to visit a very different locale on July 4: Lampedusa, a tiny island between Tunisia and Sicily where North African immigrants wash ashore by the thousands
Hegseth is a religious nut case who believes that G-d is supporting trump's war and military actions. I note that Hegseth excluded Catholics from Good Friday religious events. See https://www.democraticunderground.com/100221145488 If nothing else, Hegseth's actions/statements and the attack on the Pope violate the basic fundamental precepts of the separation of church and state.
malaise
(296,562 posts)Important snip
Tensions had not been mended by February, when the Holy See rejected the White Houses invitation to host Pope Leothe religious orders first U.S.-born pontifffor Americas 250th anniversary in July. Instead, the Catholic leader has arranged to visit a very different locale on July 4: Lampedusa, a tiny island between Tunisia and Sicily where North African immigrants wash ashore by the thousands
Thanks
delisen
(7,383 posts)Trump is not the planner of this right wing coup, he is the front man. He gets to cosplay and do foreshadowing and trolling.
He is the talent, the entertainer, the showman. He gets to say: Youre Fired. Bul the big decisions are made elsewhere.
The planners are madmen too, but there is a method to their madness.
Peter Thiel has been doing seminars on the Antichrist right down the street from the Vatican.
Pope Leo is reining in Opus Dei, bringing the church back to the people and the Conservative Catholic movement is very angry. I
Rec
Wiz Imp
(10,105 posts)He posted an AI image of himself as Pope to the official White House website.
spanone
(141,740 posts)Don't take any shit from them Leo.
Pope says Trumps threat to destroy Iranian civilization is truly unacceptable
BY NICOLE WINFIELD
Updated 3:14 PM CDT, April 7, 2026
Leer en español
Comments 182
ROME (AP) Pope Leo XIV said Tuesday that U.S. President Donald Trumps threat to destroy Iranian civilization was truly unacceptable and said any attacks on civilian infrastructure violate international law.
In some of his strongest comments yet against the war, the American pope urged Americans and other people of good will to contact their political leaders and congressional representatives to demand they reject war and work for peace.
Today as we all know there was this threat against all the people of Iran. This is truly unacceptable, Leo said as he left his country house in Castel Gandolfo, south of Rome.
He was referring to Trumps threat that a whole civilization will die tonight if Iran fails to meet his latest deadline to strike a deal that includes reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
https://apnews.com/article/pope-leo-iran-trump-threat-unacceptable-332059536d7c4d6071c8f5abb35d8c8d
malaise
(296,562 posts)Declined his invitation to the 250th
mackdaddy
(1,985 posts)May not be a group you want to piss off...
Wednesdays
(22,730 posts)Not a good idea to piss them off...for different reasons.
calimary
(90,208 posts)VERY much indeed.
BlueWaveNeverEnd
(14,407 posts)Kid Berwyn
(24,569 posts)He may not appreciate it, but Dimdonniedipshit truly is the opposite of anything good and the lowest of the low.
"I've met some bad people. Not one as bad as Trump. Not a decent cell in his entire body." -- Jeffrey Epstein to Ghislain Maxwell
malthaussen
(18,581 posts)KT2000
(22,166 posts)the Vatican's stuff - especially the gold stuff.
valleyrogue
(2,751 posts)The entire administration should have been gone months ago.
Hell, it never should have been in there to begin with.
oasis
(53,742 posts)Last edited Sat Apr 11, 2026, 08:54 PM - Edit history (1)
that can happen.
aggiesal
(10,825 posts)malaise
(296,562 posts)I dont believe in hell
aggiesal
(10,825 posts)😀
rampartd
(4,704 posts)has the military power to do whatever it wants in the world. The Catholic Church had better take its side.
does that talk get these guys chanting "usa usa usa" because it ain't working on me.
malaise
(296,562 posts)games have come true.
BradBo
(1,024 posts)BradBo
(1,024 posts)malaise
(296,562 posts)PatSeg
(53,222 posts)They really think that they can do anything, anywhere, anytime.
Rec
PatSeg
(53,222 posts)we learned about in cartoons and action adventures. Most of us didn't believe it existed in real life and I could have never believed they would be this real.
CanonRay
(16,189 posts)Just sayin.
malaise
(296,562 posts)I detest all monarchies, wanna be monarchs and all of their religions
Playingmantis
(663 posts)"who will rid me of this troublesome Pope?"
maliaSmith
(207 posts)I wonder how many Catholics voted for Trump? I wonder how many Catholics will vote for the GOP in midterms after Trump adm threatened the Pope?
mdbl
(8,705 posts)Will do it all over again.
Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin
(136,073 posts)oasis
(53,742 posts)Torchlight
(6,886 posts)In the Soviet Unions waning years, John Paul II was an obstacle of frustration to Moscow, particularly because he threatened Soviet control at the level of legitimacy, belief, and public courage, which are difficult for coercive systems to suppress permanently.
Mr. trump should take historical note (with a crayon, of course)