The Schism between the Pentagon and the Vatican

by Thierry Meyssan,* France

(1 May 2026) Seen from the outside, we do not perceive the metamorphosis of the United States: in four months, it has changed its political ideology (it is no longer ‘Jacksonian’), its military doctrine (it no longer applies the ‘Rumsfeld-Cebrowski’ strategy), and its faith (it no longer believes in religious pluralism). We are publishing a study on this transformation, which compels us to completely revise our perception of this country.

On 9 January 2026, Pope Leo XIV presented his New Year’s greetings to foreign ambassadors. He stated in particular: “These days, the weakness of multilateralism on the international stage is particularly worrying. Diplomacy that promotes dialogue and seeks the consensus of all is being replaced by diplomacy by force, whether by individuals or groups of allies. War has come back into fashion and a fervour for war is spreading. The principle established after the Second World War, which prohibited countries from using force to violate the borders of others, has been violated.”¹ Peace is no longer sought as a gift and a desirable good in itself “in the pursuit of an order willed by God, which implies a more perfect justice among men”,² but is sought through arms, as a condition for asserting one’s own domination. This seriously threatens the rule of law, which is the foundation of all peaceful civil coexistence.³

This speech greatly displeased the US Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth. He is a Christian Zionist and a member of the Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches (CREC), the sect led by Pastor Douglas Wilson. Since 30 September 2025, he had been reforming the Pentagon, dismissing officers who had been appointed on the basis of “woke” ideology and the rules of “diversity, equity and inclusion” (DEI).⁴ Above all, he was calling into question the role of “the family”, the International Christian Leadership, within the Pentagon itself.

This association of military chaplains of all denominations had been founded in 1935 by the Methodist pastor Abraham Vereide. After the Second World War, it had become the main justification for the Cold War: the struggle of the US armed forces, defenders of the Faith, against the atheist communist armies. All the Chiefs of Staff were members until last year, and a great many politicians, both American and from allied nations, were regular attendees.⁵ For 73 years, the Reverend Billy Graham served as its spokesperson. It was in this capacity that he served as spiritual advisor to twelve US presidents, from Truman to Obama.⁶ In France, the President of the Senate, Alain Poher, prayed within this group.

Furthermore, on 22 January, the Secretary of War summoned the Apostolic Nuncio in Washington, the French Cardinal Christophe Pierre. In principle, only foreign ministers may summon the Holy See’s ambassador. This was an exception. The prelate was not received by the Secretary, but by his deputy, Elbridge Colby.

It is common knowledge that Pete Hegseth is more concerned with the culture war against the “woke” movement than with military matters. Elbridge Colby, for his part, is in charge of US military strategy. He is a Catholic, the grandson of William Colby, who was director of the CIA during the Nixon administration and a Knight of the Sovereign Order of Malta.

Elbridge played a central role during Donald Trump’s first term and wrote a curious book: “The Strategy of Denial: American defence in an age of great power conflict”.⁷ In it, he explains that, in order to remain free, the United States must prevent any other state from becoming more powerful than itself. In it, he sets out a strategy to halt China’s development, not by waging war on it directly, but by waging war on its suppliers of energy and raw materials.

Elbridge Colby explained to His Eminence Archbishop Christophe Pierre that the Holy See must have known for a long time that the United States is its best ally and that the Pope should be more “loyal” (sic).

The tone of the discussion turned acrimonious and Colby reminded the prelate that, when a pope came into conflict with a king of France, the latter had a second pope elected. From 1378 to 1417, two popes – that of the Vatican and that of Avignon – excommunicated one another as part of the “Great Western Schism”.

Similarly, regarding the Protestant churches at a time when they were in the majority in the United States, his own grandfather, William Colby, launched the International Congress on World Evangelisation alongside Pastor Billy Graham in order to rival the World Council of Churches (WCC), which had spoken out against the Vietnam War.

At the end of the meeting, Elbridge Colby symbolised the schism, in a defiant gesture, by placing his pistol on the table.

The scene was recounted in various ways by several media outlets after The Free Press reported it.⁸ The version I am giving you was previously shared with me by a colleague and friend who played a role in the Vatican. On 9 April, on the occasion of the inauguration of the new Apostolic Nuncio in Washington, His Excellency Archbishop Gabriele Caccia, the Holy See’s spokesperson, the British Matteo Bruni, confirmed that this meeting did indeed take place, but declined to comment on its proceedings. He merely stated that the media reports were “absolutely false”. For his part, the US Ambassador to the Holy See, Brian Birch, “categorically refuted” the account of events presented by The Free Press.

Be that as it may, the Holy Father cancelled his planned trip to the United States.

As matters gradually worsened, the Secretary of War invited Pastor Douglas Wilson to preach at the Pentagon on 17 February 2026.⁹ However, during a fifteen-minute sermon, the “paleo-Confederate” pastor prayed for “the awakening of the black swan”, that is, for a great revival of Christianity in the United States.

“God can do whatever he likes – and as we should know by now, what he likes to do is take the most unlikely materials and make something glorious out of them. Take a prayer meeting at the Pentagon as a possible example. Much stranger things have happened.”

In the days that followed, the doors of the Pentagon were closed to “the family” (including the Catholic Church). Only pastors from the Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches (CREC), Pete Hegseth’s Christian Zionist Church, are now permitted there for the monthly Armed Forces worship service. Moreover, at the following service, on 18 March 2026, the Secretary of War, Pete Hegsteh, delivered the sermon himself. He prayed that US troops would inflict “an act of crushing violence upon those who deserve no mercy. […] We ask this with bold confidence in the name of the almighty Jesus Christ”.¹⁰

Later that day, his department announced that the number of religions accepted in the armed forces would no longer be in the region of 200, but 31. Furthermore, military chaplains would no longer wear their rank on their uniforms but would instead wear religious insignia.¹¹ It appears that the Secretary of War wishes, on the one hand, to refocus the work of chaplains on the propagation of their faith rather than on the personal problems of their flock¹² and, on the other hand, to gradually impose a particular conception of religion, breaking with the current diversity.¹³

The Pentagon press officer commented: “The Secretary’s prayer services undoubtedly boost the morale of those who choose to attend and are protected by the Constitution. No special treatment or punishment is given based on one’s choice to attend or not attend these prayer services.”

However, many retired officers have begun to take a stand against the ongoing reform. It is unacceptable to them that the Pentagon should be under the thumb of a particular church, let alone the sect of Pastor Douglas Wilson.

The Secretary of War’s “guru” is first and foremost the leader of the “Biblical Patriarchy”, which is why he has spoken out against women’s participation in the leadership of his church and asserts that the enslavement of women is justified by Scripture.

He is a “reconstructionist”: according to him, Christ will only return when society adheres to certain Old Testament laws, including the death penalty for murder, idolatry, homosexuality, adultery, witchcraft and blasphemy. As a “Christian nationalist”, he preaches “a fusion of Christian identity and cultural conservatism with civic allegiance to the United States”. Finally, in the name of “Covenant Theology”, he is convinced that Christ did not come to abolish the law of Moses, but to superimpose his message of love upon it; this is why he regards support for the State of Israel as a religious duty.¹⁴

The poison of the political instrumentalization of religion is spreading.

On 12 April, 60 Minutes (CBS) aired a report in which three US cardinals backed Pope Leo XIV’s statements against the war in Iran and President Trump’s anti-immigration policy.

President Trump responded the following morning on Truth Social with this declaration of war: “Pope Leo XIV is weak on crime and terrible on foreign policy. He speaks of “fear” of the Trump administration, but makes no mention of the FEAR that the Catholic Church, and all other Christian organisations, felt during COVID when priests, ministers and worshippers for holding church services, even when they were outdoors and standing ten or even twenty feet apart [about 2.5 metres]. I much prefer his brother Louis to him, because Louis is MAGA. He gets it, and Leo doesn’t!

I don’t want a pope who thinks it’s OK for Iran to have a nuclear weapon. I don’t want a pope who thinks it’s terrible that America attacked Venezuela, a country that was sending massive quantities of drugs to the United States and, worse still, emptying its prisons – including murderers, drug traffickers and killers – into our country. And I don’t want a pope criticising the President of the United States because I am doing exactly what I was elected to do.

IN THE FACE OF A COLLAPSE, I have set record figures in the fight against crime and by creating the greatest stock market in history. Leon should be grateful because, as everyone knows, his election was surprising and shocking. He wasn’t on any list to be pope and was only put there by the Church because he was American, and they thought that would be the best way to deal with President Donald J. Trump. If I weren’t in the White House, Leon wouldn’t be in the Vatican.

Unfortunately, Leon is weak on crime, weak on nuclear weapons, does not stand by my side, nor does the fact that he meets with Obama supporters, such as David Axelrod, a left-wing LOSER, who is one of those who wanted the time masters and the clerics arrested. Leon should behave like a pope, use common sense, stop pandering to the radical left and focus on being a great pope.”¹⁵

Donald Trump also posted a computer-generated image created by Nick Adams, the president of the Foundation for Liberty and American Greatness. It depicts him as Jesus healing a sick man, under the awestruck gaze of his faithful and the protection of his soldiers and angels. This was on 15 April, Orthodox Easter.

On 15 April, the third religious service of the new system was broadcast on YouTube. The Secretary of War referred to the heroic rescue operation of a pilot shot down in Iran. In reality, it was an operation aimed at seizing stocks of enriched uranium. The pilot was not rescued. He remains a prisoner of the Revolutionary Guards. Never mind.

Hegseth quoted a prayer from the Sandy 1 team of the combat search and rescue unit. Referring to the Book of Ezekiel, he stated:

“The path of the righteous man is beset on all sides by the injustices of the selfish and the tyranny of evil men. Blessed is he who, in the name of charity and goodwill, guides the weak through the valley of darkness, for he is truly his brother’s keeper and the one who finds the lost children. And I will bring down upon you great vengeance and furious anger upon those who attempt to poison and destroy my brothers. And you shall know that my name is the Lord when I unleash my vengeance upon you.” Alas! the quotation does not refer to the Bible, but to the screenplay of the film Pulp Fiction.

The Secretary of War then gave the floor to Pastor Zack Randles, who preaches every year in the House of Representatives.¹⁶

A few hours later, Leon XIV posted on X: “Woe to those who manipulate religions and the very name of God for their own military, economic and political ends, dragging what is sacred into darkness and filth!”¹⁷

Ultimately, the organisation Americans United for Separation of Church and State filed a complaint against the Department of Defence.¹⁸ According to the Association for the Defence of Religious Plurality, what is happening at the Department of War is spreading: identical prayers have been reported at the Department of Labour under Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer.

The “Kulturkampf” has just begun. The “struggle for civilisation” was a policy of Chancellor Otto von Bismarck aimed at severing the ties between the German Empire and the Catholic Church. This time, it is a rift between the United States and the Holy See, at a time when, due to Mexican immigration, 40% of the country’s population is now Catholic.¹⁹ It is also a backlash following Pope Francis’ support for Democratic President Joe Biden.²⁰ (To be continued …)

* Thierry Meyssan is a political consultant and founding president of the Voltaire Network. He is the editor of the weekly information service ‘Voltaire. International News’, ISSN 2966-5752. His latest book in French is titled ‘Sous nos yeux – Du 11-Septembre à Donald Trump’ and has been translated into several languages.

Source: https://www.voltairenet.org/article224275.html, 21 April 2026

(Translation “Swiss Standpoint”)

1 Reference to the US abduction of President Nicolás Maduro three days earlier.

2 Encyclical Letter Populorum progressio, Paul VI, 26 March 1967.

3 Address by Pope Leo XIV to members of the Diplomatic Corps accredited to the Holy See on the occasion of the New Year’s greetings, Holy See, 9 January 2026.

4 “Secretary of War Pete Hegseth Addresses General and Flag Officers at Quantico, Virginia”, Department of War, 30 September 2025.

5 The Family: The Secret Fundamentalism at the Heart of American Power, Jeff Sharlet, HarperCollins (2008). “The Christian Mafia”, Wayne Madsen, Insider Magazine

6 Billy Graham, Protestant Pope?, Sébastien Fath, Albin Michel (2002).

7 The Strategy of Denial: American defence in an age of great power conflict, Elbridge Colby, Yale University Press (2021).

8 “Why the Vatican and the White House Are at Odds”, Mattia Ferraresi, The Free Press, 6 April 2026.

9 “Hegseth invited Christian nationalist Doug Wilson to preach at the Pentagon”, Amy B Wang, The Washington Post, 18 February 2026.

10 “Invoking faith in wartime, Pete Hegseth breaks norms and worries critics”, Michelle Boorstein, Washington Post, 29 March 2026.

11 “Hegseth Announces Reforms to Chaplain Corps”, Matthew Olay, Pentagon News, 25 March 2026.

12 “At Pentagon Christian service, Hegseth prays for violence ’against those who deserve no mercy’”, Tiffany Stanley, The Washington Post, 25 March 2026.

13 “Why Pete Hegseth’s Pentagon prayer services challenge traditional notions of separation of church and state – but might be blessed by the Roberts Supreme Court”, Naomi Schalit & John E. Jones III, The Conversation, 15 April 2026.

14 Is Christianity good for the world?, Dialogue between Christopher Hitchens & Douglas Wilson, Canon Press (2008).

15 “@realDonaldTrump”, Truth Social, 13 April 2026.

16 “Guest Chaplains”, House of Representatives.

17 “@Pontifex_fr”, X, 16 April 2026.

18 Americans United for Separation of Church and State v. US, Civil Action No. 1:26-CV-983, District Court of Columbia, 23 March 2026.

19 “Trump’s worrying confrontation with Pope Leo XIV”, by Alfredo Jalife-Rahme, La Jornada (Mexico), Voltaire Network, 16 April 2026.

20 “Biden, commander of the ‘true believers’”, by Thierry Meyssan, Voltaire Network, 16 February 2021.