‘FABRICATIONS’: Top Cardinal Debunks Fake Report That Pentagon ‘Threatened’ Vatican

Officials with both the Holy See and the United States have denied media reports alleging that senior Pentagon officials delivered a threatening lecture to the Vatican’s top diplomat in the United States this past January. The reports centered on a meeting between Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Elbridge Colby and Cardinal Christophe Pierre, who was then serving as the apostolic nuncio, or Vatican ambassador, to the United States.

The initial claims appeared in coverage by The Daily Beast, which drew from reporting by The Free Press published on April 6. According to those accounts, the meeting took place on January 22, 2026, at the Pentagon.

According to the report, which cited Vatican officials briefed on the discussion who spoke on the condition of anonymity, the meeting was described as a “bitter lecture.” They stated that Pentagon officials expressed anger over passages in Pope Leo XIV’s January 9 address to the diplomatic corps, in which Pope Leo XIX criticized what he saw as a shift from diplomacy based on dialogue and consensus to one based on force.

He referenced concerns about the undermining of post-World War II principles prohibiting the use of force to violate national borders and alluded to the Trump administration’s approach in the Western Hemisphere

The reports further claimed that officials told Cardinal Pierre the United States has the military power to do “whatever it wants” and that the pope “better take its side.” One unnamed U.S. official reportedly invoked the Avignon Papacy — a 14th-century period when the papacy was relocated to France under military and political pressure from the French crown — as a historical parallel.

Officials with both parties have disputed the reporting, however.

U.S. officials have disputed the characterization of the meeting. A Pentagon spokesperson confirmed that the January 22 discussion occurred but stated that the description in The Free Press was “highly exaggerated and distorted.”

“The meeting between Pentagon and Vatican officials was a respectful and reasonable discussion. We have nothing but the highest regard and welcome continued dialogue with the Holy See.”

The Apostolic Nunciature in Washington, D.C., also confirmed the meeting in a written statement. It described the encounter as a standard practice for the nuncio, who serves as the Holy See’s ambassador to the United States, and expressed appreciation for opportunities to discuss areas of mutual concern with government officials.

“We can confirm that Cardinal Christophe Pierre had a meeting on January 22, 2026, at the Pentagon where he and several officials had discussed current affairs,” the nunciature stated. “The Apostolic Nunciature is grateful for the opportunities to meet and dialogue with government officials and others in Washington to discuss areas of mutual concern.”

Vice President JD Vance, when asked about the report while traveling in Hungary, stated that he had not seen it and had no immediate comment. He indicated he would speak with Cardinal Pierre and U.S. officials to clarify details, noting that it is unwise to opine on unconfirmed accounts.

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