As things got heated, Colby reportedly lectured Cardinal Pierre on the military power of the U.S. and told him that the Catholic Church must pick a side, according to Hale, and mentioned the “Avignon papacy.”
All information about the meeting was obtained by Ferraresi from Vatican and U.S. officials briefed on the Pentagon meeting.
What Could Such a Reference Indicate?
There is no doubt that a reference to the “Avignon papacy” by a Pentagon official was meant to make the Vatican feel uneasy about crossing the Trump administration.
Some have suggested that the reference of this chapter of medieval history might signal the Trump administration’s intention to trigger a new schism, while others think it would suggest its willingness to use military force against the Holy See. Ferraresi, however, said that interpreting it as a military threat is “just absurd.”
According to Mike Young, author of a newsletter on civic accountability, the mention of the “Avignon papacy” was a reference to “an implicit model for what happens to religious institutions that oppose state power.”
In a post on X, he wrote: “That’s not a slip of the tongue. That’s a studied historical reference deployed deliberately in a room with the Pope’s senior diplomat. The message was not subtle.”
I’ve seen other references elsewhere. Any quotes on what was said seem to reference the Free Press article. But the other sources are still reporting that there was a meeting, and the Vatican didn’t like what they heard,whatever it was.
According to Vatican and U.S. officials who were briefed on the meeting and spoke to the publication, the Pentagon criticized the Pope’s statements in January, interpreting them as hostile attacks on Trump’s policies.
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A Vatican official speaking to The Free Press said the Pope has no plans to visit the U.S. while Trump is in office.
This is a huge story and I’m trying to find another source that also claims threats were made.
https://www.newsweek.com/avignon-papacy-explained-what-reported-us-threat-to-pope-and-vatican-means-11803877
I’ve seen other references elsewhere. Any quotes on what was said seem to reference the Free Press article. But the other sources are still reporting that there was a meeting, and the Vatican didn’t like what they heard,whatever it was.
https://www.the-independent.com/news/world/americas/us-politics/pope-leo-visit-us-trump-president-b2954080.html
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