Pope Leo May Boycott US Under Trump: Report
AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)
Posted For: Red Baron
Pope Leo XIV may be avoiding travel to his home country for the time being—at least while President Trump is in the White House—according to a report suggesting growing tension between Washington and the Vatican.
The Free Press reports that after the American-born pontiff delivered a January speech to diplomats emphasizing the importance of international humanitarian law, the Pentagon called in Cardinal Christophe Pierre, who was serving as the pope’s envoy to the United States, for a meeting described as tense. Vatican officials familiar with the discussion told the outlet it amounted to a stern message that the United States has the military strength to act independently and that the Catholic Church should remain aligned with American policy. According to one Vatican source, the takeaway inside the Vatican afterward was that the pope might not visit the United States while this administration remains in power.
The reported tension appears to stem from what some see as Pope Leo’s criticism of Trump administration foreign policy, including the Donroe Doctrine, an updated version of the Monroe Doctrine asserting U.S. influence in the Western Hemisphere. In his January address, the pope warned of a shift away from diplomacy based on dialogue and consensus toward an approach “based on force, by either individuals or groups of allies.” Vatican and U.S. officials reportedly interpreted the remark as directed at President Trump’s foreign policy.
Vice President JD Vance had invited the pope to attend events at the White House marking America’s 250th birthday on July 4, but the pontiff declined the invitation, according to the Free Press. Instead, he plans to spend that day on the Italian island of Lampedusa, a major arrival point for migrants crossing the Mediterranean.
When asked Wednesday about the reported Pentagon meeting with Cardinal Pierre, Vice President Vance initially said he was unfamiliar with the cardinal and later declined to comment. A Pentagon spokesperson told CBC that the Free Press account was “highly exaggerated and distorted,” describing the meeting as respectful and reasonable and saying the United States welcomes continued dialogue with the Holy See.
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