The Vatican responded to a media report claiming Cardinal Christophe Pierre, then-papal envoy to the U.S., received \u201ca bitter lecture\u201d in a meeting with U.S. defense officials.<\/p>\n
The Vatican on Friday said the narrative in some media outlets about a meeting at the Pentagon between senior U.S. defense officials and the pope\u2019s then-representative to the U.S. \u201cdoes not correspond to the truth.\u201d<\/p>\n
According to Cardinal Christophe Pierre, his meeting with Undersecretary of War for Policy Elbridge A. Colby in January was part of the former nuncio\u2019s \u201cregular mission and provided an opportunity for an exchange of views on matters of mutual interest,\u201d Matteo Bruni, director of the Holy See Press Office, said in a statement April 10.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe narrative presented by certain media outlets regarding this meeting does not correspond to the truth at all,\u201d Bruni added.<\/p>\n
Bruni\u2019s statement followed an April 6 report by The Free Press claiming Pierre, then the apostolic nuncio to the U.S., received \u201ca bitter lecture\u201d in a January meeting with defense officials, reportedly because of a speech in which Pope Leo XIV criticized \u201ca diplomacy based on force.\u201d<\/p>\n
According to The Free Press, the pope\u2019s message was interpreted as a criticism of U.S. policy by Pentagon officials, who told Pierre: \u201cAmerica has the military power to do whatever it wants in the world. The Catholic Church had better take its side.\u201d<\/p>\n
The U.S. Department of Defense, in a post on X on April 9, said that a \u201csubstantive, respectful, and professional\u201d meeting took place on Jan. 22, but \u201crecent reporting of the meeting is highly exaggerated and distorted.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDuring the cordial meeting, they discussed a range of topics, including issues of morality in foreign policy, the logic of the U.S. National Security Strategy, Europe, Africa, Latin America, and other topics. Cardinal Pierre expressed his appreciation for the outreach and both sides looked forward to continued open and respectful dialogue,\u201d the department said. It also shared photos from the meeting.<\/p>\n
Under Secretary of War for Policy Elbridge Colby @USWPColby had a substantive, respectful, and professional meeting with Cardinal Pierre, the then-Papal Nuncio, and his team on January 22, 2026. During the cordial meeting, they discussed a range of topics, including issues of\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/McI0sB2wKC<\/p>\n
The U.S. ambassador to the Holy See, Brian Burch, also commented on the Pentagon meeting on X on April 9. Burch said he had spoken to the former nuncio who \u201cemphatically denied the media\u2019s portrayal of his meeting with Colby.\u201d<\/p>\n
Pierre, Burch wrote, \u201cdescribed the meeting as \u2018frank, but very cordial\u2019 and a \u2018normal encounter.\u2019 He confirmed that the reporting \u2018does not reflect what happened\u2019 and was \u2018just invented to make a story.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
Catholic news outlet The Pillar reported April 10 that one senior Vatican official had described the conversation as having moments of tension, with some U.S. officials being \u201caggressive\u201d and \u201cbullying,\u201d though \u201cthere was no question of anybody threatening anyone.\u201d<\/p>\n
Pope Leo accepted Pierre\u02bcs resignation as nuncio in March for reaching the age limit and appointed Archbishop Gabriele Caccia as his new representative to the U.S.<\/p>\n
This article was originally published by EWTN News English.<\/p>\n