Reports emerged of an alleged rift between the Trump administration and the Vatican after senior Pentagon officials summoned an ambassador representing American-born Pope Leo XIV to a closed-door meeting in January 2026.
US Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Elbridge Colby and other officials reportedly met with Cardinal Christophe Pierre, delivering a blunt warning that 'The United States has the military power to do whatever it wants in the world. The Catholic Church had better take its side.'
The meeting came shortly after the Pope's annual address to the Vatican diplomatic corps on January 9, in which he warned that 'war is back in vogue' and criticized what he described as 'diplomacy based on force,' 'imperialist occupation,' and the pursuit of global dominance.
Pope Leo argued that 'a diplomacy that promotes dialogue and seeks consensus among all parties is being replaced by a diplomacy based on force,' adding, 'war is back in vogue, and a zeal for war is spreading.'
The Vatican was deeply alarmed by the alleged warning, and Pope Leo has reportedly cancelled plans for a visit to the United States later this year.
A Defense Department official disputed the reports, saying, '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.'
