The Vatican publicly rebuked reports depicting the Pentagon as having had a hostile meeting with representatives from the Catholic Church in January as “completely untrue.”
The Holy See Press Office released the statement Friday in Italian after a Monday report from The Free Press claiming the Trump administration had sought to strongarm the Vatican into support for its war with Iran. The outlet reported that an intense meeting between Under Secretary of War for Policy Elbridge Colby and then-Vatican ambassador to the U.S. Cardinal Christophe Pierre had allegedly taken place. Colby reportedly thought Pope Leo XIV may have referred to the U.S. during his January State of the World address urging nations not to violate the borders of others. (RELATED: Judge Orders Pentagon To Grant Media More Access)
Colby had allegedly responded to Leo’s message by telling Pierre that due to U.S. military might the country could do whatever it wanted and that it would be best for the Holy See to go along with the program, according to the report. A U.S. official allegedly invoked the Avignon Papacy, a period in which several popes had operated under the French crown rather than as independent bodies.
WASHINGTON, DC – MARCH 03: U.S. Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Elbridge Colby testifies before the Senate Armed Services Committee at the Hart Senate Office Building on March 03, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
Holy See Press Office director Matteo Bruni confirmed that a meeting between Pierre and Colby had taken place, but said it was merely “part of the regular mission of the Papal Representative and provided the opportunity for an exchange of views on matters of mutual interest,” according to a translation of the statement.
“The narrative offered by some media outlets regarding this meeting is completely untrue,” the statement continued.
Christopher Hale, a Democratic National Convention delegate and writer of Letters from Leo, claimed Wednesday that he could “independently confirm The Free Press report that the meeting took place — and that some Vatican officials were so alarmed by the Pentagon’s tactics that they shelved plans for Pope Leo XIV to visit the United States later this year.”
He also alleged that other Vatican officials saw “the Pentagon’s reference to an Avignon papacy as a threat to use military force against the Holy See.”
Before the Vatican had denied the allegations themselves, public statements from U.S. officials and follow-up reporting raised questions.
US cardinal Christophe Pierre attends a press conference of US cardinals, a day after the new pope’s election, at the North American College in Rome on May 9, 2025. (Photo by ALBERTO PIZZOLI/AFP via Getty Images)
Vice President and Catholic JD Vance told a reporter that he had not seen the report, adding that he would like to speak with Pierre and that he refused to offer an opinion on a story he called “unconfirmed and uncorroborated.”
JD Flynn, an editor of The Pillar, said Wednesday that “your pals down at the Pillar haven’t confirmed this report.”
The Department of War (DOW) Rapid Response team said Thursday that the January meeting was “substantive, respectful, and professional” and that “both sides looked forward to continued open and respectful dialogue.”
“In light of grossly false and distorted recent reporting, the Department of War repeats its statement: Recent reporting of the meeting is highly exaggerated and distorted,” they continued.
Responding to the DOW Rapid Response statement, U.S. ambassador to the Holy See Brian Burch said he had spoken Thursday with Pierre and the cardinal confirmed that the reports’ characterizations were “‘fabrications’ that were ‘just invented.’” He said the cardinal added that there was no threat of Avignon in the “frank and cordial meeting.” (RELATED: Israel Reopens Christian, Other Religious Holy Sites In Jerusalem Amid Brittle Ceasefire)
The Holy See did not respond to the Daily Caller’s request for additional comment or a preferred translation of the statement. The Caller reached out to Hale for comment.