Kings of the earth

[Amo]

https://www.osvnews.com/pentagon-disputes-report-senior-officials-lectured-vatican-diplomat-about-pope-leo/

Quoted article below from link above. Emphasis is mine.

PENTAGON DISPUTES REPORT SENIOR OFFICIALS LECTURED VATICAN DIPLOMAT ABOUT POPE LEO

WASHINGTON (OSV News) — The top Vatican diplomat in the U.S. was brought to the Pentagon in January for a "bitter lecture" about comments from Pope Leo XIV that some senior U.S. defense officials perceived as criticism of the Trump administration, The Free Press reported April 6.

A spokesperson for the Pentagon confirmed a meeting took place, but denied the report's description of that meeting in written comments to OSV News. Several hours later, the U.S. Embassy to the Holy See also disputed the report.

'A bitter lecture' alleged at the Pentagon

"Vatican officials briefed on the meeting, who spoke with The Free Press on the condition of anonymity, described it as a bitter lecture warning that the United States has the military power to do whatever it wants — and that the Church had better take its side," the report said.

The Vatican Embassy, or apostolic nunciature, in Washington told OSV News in a written statement that the meeting took place. But the statement did not shed light on the tone of the meeting or offer specifics about what was discussed there.

"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 statement said. "Meetings with government officials are a standard practice for the Nuncio, who serves as the Holy See's ambassador to the United States. 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."

Report 'highly exaggerated and distorted'

In a written statement provided to OSV News, an official with the War Department, a moniker for the Department of Defense, said, "The Free Press's characterization of the meeting is highly exaggerated and distorted."

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

Matteo Bruni, director of the Holy See Press Office, acknowledged the report in comments to reporters in Rome April 9, but declined to comment on its accuracy.

"As for the more complex current issues, the pope has never stopped speaking out on this — even on recent occasions, like just a couple of days ago when he left Castel Gandolfo," Bruni said, speaking in Italian, adding the report seems to reference "something that happened in January."

"So, in short, I don't have any specific answers to offer on that, other than that the pope's words are more recent," he said.

Cardinal summoned to Pentagon

The Free Press reported that after Pope Leo's Jan. 9 speech to members of the diplomatic corps, Eldridge Colby, undersecretary of war for policy, summoned the Holy See's then-ambassador to the U.S., Cardinal Christophe Pierre, to the Pentagon. In the speech, the pontiff had condemned zeal for war and raised alarm that "the principle established after the Second World War, which prohibited nations from using force to violate the borders of others, has been completely undermined."

The Free Press, an online outlet that recently became a division of CBS News, described the Colby-Cardinal Pierre meeting as likely unprecedented, as there does not appear to be any public record of any Vatican official ever taking a meeting at the Pentagon.

The report claimed Vatican officials said the Pentagon officials were "enraged" about a passage of the speech about what some call the "Donroe Doctrine," or Trump's argument for American dominance in the Western Hemisphere, his spin on the 19th-century Monroe Doctrine, which sought to reduce European influence in the Americas.

Diplomacy must promote 'dialogue,' 'seeks consensus'

"A diplomacy that promotes dialogue and seeks consensus among all parties is being replaced by a diplomacy based on force, by either individuals or groups of allies," the pontiff said in his January speech.

According to the report, an unnamed U.S. official even "went so far as to invoke the Avignon Papacy," a tumultuous period in Church history where popes took up residence in Avignon, France, instead of in Rome, from 1309-1378, due to tremendous military pressure from King Philip IV of France. The king had violently feuded with one of the popes in Rome, leading to Pope Boniface VIII's untimely death and a new pontiff who agreed to transfer the papacy to Avignon.

In response to a question about The Free Press report while traveling in Hungary, Vice President JD Vance first told reporters, "With no disrespect to the cardinal, I don't know who Cardinal Christophe Pierre is."

After being reminded of Cardinal Pierre's role, Vance replied, "Oh, OK, OK. I've met him before. Sorry. I just didn't remember the name."

'I'd like to talk' to cardinal

Vance, who is the second Catholic to be U.S. vice president, said he had not seen the report, but "I'd like to actually talk to Cardinal Christophe Pierre and, frankly, to our people, to figure out what actually happened."

"I think it's always a bad idea to offer an opinion on stories that are unconfirmed and uncorroborated, so I'm not going to do that," he said.

Cardinal Pierre, 80, retired this year as the Vatican's ambassador, or apostolic nuncio, to the U.S. with Pope Leo selecting Archbishop Gabriele G. Caccia, to serve as the next apostolic nuncio to the U.S. on March 7. 

According to the Vatican bulletin, Pope Leo met April 9 with Archbishop Caccia, who previous to his new assignment had represented the Holy See at the United Nations. Archbishop Caccia also met with Brian Burch, the U.S. ambassador to the Holy See, to discuss the U.S.-Holy See relationship and areas of mutual concern, the U.S. Embassy said April 8.

US ambassador to Vatican claims former nuncio told him report 'invented'

However, in a statement posted on X, the U.S. Embassy to the Holy See said that Burch spoke with Cardinal Pierre on April 9 about the January meeting. It claimed the former nuncio "emphatically denied the media's portrayal of his meeting" at the Pentagon.

Burch wrote in his own post that Cardinal Pierre told him the characterization of the January meeting in The Free Press report were "fabrications" that were "just invented."

"'It was a frank and cordial meeting that took place two months ago,'" Burch claimed the cardinal said. Asked about threats of "Avignon," Burch claimed the cardinal said there were "none."

As of press time, Cardinal Pierre has not himself publicly addressed the claims regarding the January meeting at the Pentagon.

OSV News has reached out to the Vatican Embassy in Washington for comment on Burch's statement.

So what is the Papacy doing having private meetings with the Pentagon? Since when is our Department of Defense in open relations and cahoots with the Papacy. This kind of crap, is exactly why there is and should be a healthy separation of Church and State. Are the leaders or heads of other denominations and or religions invited to dialogue with the leaders of our Department of Defense? Certainly not. Even if they were, all such should be condemned. Obviously our Government is getting way to cozy with this worlds oldest religeo-political entity, which is and has been infamous for entangling Church and State. Never mind, that the Vatican is the only religion that also claims or perhaps moreover demands nation status in and of this world. All the more reason to avoid their ever increasingly intrusive influence upon the kings and governments of this world. This world has been down this road before.

We have nothing to fear from the future, save we forget the lessons we have learned from the past.

Interesting also, to see the Vatican complaining about the violation of a countries borders, while they have been and do continue to support one wave of mass illegal immigrations after another in this country and abroad for well over a century now. As though such unarmed invasions, were not also just forms of warfare against nations as well. Asymmetrical warfare, is still warfare. The only kind of course, that a religion without a standing army, can put into effect. 

[Amo]

https://apnews.com/article/vatican-pope-leo-zelenskyy-children-taken-ukraine-cb1437b87d9970d0642648152979fcd0

Quoted article below from link above.

Ukraine's Zelenskyy meets with Pope Leo XIV. Both propose the Vatican as site for peace talks

CASTEL GANDOLFO, Italy (AP) — Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with Pope Leo XIV on Wednesday and thanked him for the Vatican's efforts to help return children taken by Russia. Both he and Leo suggested the Vatican could host peace talks to end the war.

Zelenskyy called on Leo at the papal summer retreat in Castel Gandolfo, in the Alban hills south of Rome. Zelenskyy is in Rome to attend the fourth Ukraine Recovery Conference, which is taking place Thursday and Friday.

The Vatican said Leo and Zelenskyy discussed the conflict "and the urgent need for a just and lasting peace."

"The Holy Father expressed his sorrow for the victims and renewed his prayers and closeness to the Ukrainian people, encouraging every effort aimed at the release of prisoners and the search for shared solutions," a Vatican statement said. "The Holy Father reiterated the willingness to welcome representatives of Russia and Ukraine to the Vatican for negotiations."

The United States had indicated the Vatican could host possible peace talks between Ukraine and Russia, but Moscow hasn't accepted it.

Speaking to reporters as he left the pope's villa, Zelenskyy said he thanked the American pope for the Vatican's efforts to help reunite children taken by Russia after Moscow's 2022 invasion.

The Vatican has not disclosed details about its efforts on helping the return of the Ukrainian children or how many children have been returned.

Leo has been a strong supporter of Ukraine and denounced the "senseless war," meeting recently with the Ukrainian Greek Catholic bishops and pilgrims. He was so taken by their hauntingly beautiful Ukrainian version of the "Our Father" hymn that he asked for an encore when he met with them a second time.

"It is not easy to find words of consolation for the families who have lost loved ones in this senseless war," he told the bishops who visited last week. "I imagine it is also for you, who are in daily contact with people wounded in heart and flesh."

[Amo]

https://en.vietnamplus.vn/na-chairman-meets-pope-leo-xiv-at-the-vatican-post340923.vnp

Quoted article below from link above.

NA Chairman meets Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican

The Party and State of Vietnam consistently create favourable conditions for the Catholic community to practice their faith while contributing to the nation, following the orientation of "living the Gospel in the heart of the nation," said National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man.

Vatican (VNA) - National Assembly (NA) Chairman Tran Thanh Man had a meeting with Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican on April 11 (local time).

At the meeting, Chairman Man expressed his appreciation for the Pope's warm reception of the high-level Vietnamese delegation, and extended respectful greetings and best wishes to the Pope on the occasion of Easter 2026.

Showing appreciation for the goodwill that the Pope and the Holy See have shown toward the Vietnamese people, Chairman Man highly valued the Pope's messages of peace and his valuable contributions to promoting peace, social justice, environmental protection, and care for the poor. He affirmed that these values are fully aligned with the aspirations of the Vietnamese people in the cause of national construction and defence.

Sharing with the Pope the outcomes of his recent visit to the Archdiocese of Hanoi on April 5, 2026, the top legislator expressed his satisfaction that in recent years, relations between Vietnam and the Holy See have made significant and substantive progress, from high-level meetings between leaders of both sides to the establishment of the Resident Representative Office of the Holy See in Vietnam, particularly the positive development of religious life among the Vietnamese Catholic community, as well as the maintenance of dialogue mechanisms and the effective operation of the Joint Working Group.

He said he believes that the upcoming 13th meeting of the Joint Working Group would contribute to the process of upgrading relations to full diplomatic ties between Vietnam and the Holy See. In this regard, the NA Chairman expressed his hope that the Pope and the Holy See would continue to foster mutual trust and understanding, working toward elevating bilateral relations to a new stage of development for the benefit of the people and for global peace and prosperity.

Chairman Man affirmed that the Party and State of Vietnam consistently create favourable conditions for the Catholic community to practice their faith while contributing to the nation, following the orientation of "living the Gospel in the heart of the nation." He also noted that in the recent election of deputies to the 16th National Assembly and People's Councils for the 2026–2031 term, many Catholic dignitaries, clergy, and followers were elected.

In addition, Vietnam's National Assembly continues to improve the legal framework to facilitate the operation and development of religions, including Catholicism, in accordance with the Constitution and laws, he added.

NA Chairman Man took the occasion to convey greetings, best wishes, and an invitation from Party General Secretary and State President To Lam to Pope Leo XIV to pay an official visit to Vietnam. Pope Leo XIV expressed his sincere thanks and his fine sentiments toward Vietnam and its people, noting his wish to visit the Southeast Asian nation in the near future.

The Pope spoke highly of the top Vietnamese legislator's visit, taking place just five days after his election, describing it as an important milestone for further enhancing mutual understanding. He also shared views on the situation of Catholicism in Vietnam and relations between Vietnam and the Holy See. Saying that a statue of Our Lady of La Vang in traditional Vietnamese ao dai (long dress) was placed in the garden two years ago, he said it always reminded him of Vietnam.

Pope Leo XIV expressed his gratitude to Vietnamese authorities for facilitating the stable and effective operation of the Holy See's Resident Papal Representative in Vietnam, and voiced his hope for more frequent exchanges and interactions to further deepen bilateral ties, in line with shared interests and the aspirations of the Catholic community.

On the same day, NA Chairman Man also had a meeting with Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin, during which the top legislator of Vietnam highly valued the increasing exchanges between the two sides, particularly at the high level, which have helped strengthen mutual trust and lay a solid foundation for long-term relations between Vietnam and the Holy See. He proposed the two sides continue maintaining high-level delegation exchanges and effectively implement the Joint Working Group mechanism. He also suggested that the Resident Papal Representative in Vietnam continue to closely coordinate with relevant Vietnamese agencies to further promote bilateral ties.

On behalf of the Party and State of Vietnam, Chairman Man extended greetings and an invitation from Vietnamese leaders to Cardinal Pietro Parolin to visit Vietnam.

For his part, Cardinal Pietro Parolin congratulated Vietnam on the successful organisation of the 14th National Party Congress, the election of deputies to the 16th National Assembly, and the first session of the new legislature, as well as the election of key leaders.

He spoke highly of Vietnam's development achievements and its open religious policies, recalling a letter from Pope Francis to the Catholic community in Vietnam, which emphasised that a good Catholic is also a good citizen. He also expressed his impression of the Vietnamese Party and State's consistent attention to vulnerable groups.

Highlighting the increasingly strengthened relations between Vietnam and the Vatican, the Cardinal voiced his belief that building on this solid foundation, bilateral ties will continue to develop positively toward new milestones. He also reaffirmed his desire to soon pay an official visit to Vietnam to witness firsthand the country's strong development and the vibrant life of the Catholic community here./.

[Amo]

https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/will-pope-leo-meet-obama-before-trump/

Quoted article below from link above.

Will Pope Leo meet with Obama before Trump?

Pope Leo XIV met with David Axelrod, a former adviser to President Barack Obama, in a private audience on Thursday.

(LifeSiteNews) — Pope Leo XIV met with David Axelrod, a former adviser to President Barack Obama, in a private audience on Thursday.

The Vatican confirmed the meeting with Axelrod and his "entourage," but details about what was discussed have not been made public. Pope Leo was allegedly 30 minutes late to another meeting because his audience with Axelrod overran.

The meeting came in the wake of reports that in January the Trump administration demanded the Vatican "take its side" on the world stage because the U.S. military can "do whatever it wants." It is not immediately clear if the two events are connected. New statements from U.S. officials suggested that details of the report were exaggerated or even fabricated.

News of the Axelrod meeting has raised questions and caused consternation among faithful Catholics. Axelrod, a Democrat who advised Obama in the White House from 2009 to 2011, is one of the most prominent left-wing strategists in the U.S.

The Obama administration notably strongly promoted abortion, the normalization of homosexuality and gender confusion, and other offenses against fundamental Catholic teaching.

It is being speculated that the Axelrod meeting could have been preparation for Pope Leo to eventually meet Obama himself.

Last month, Christopher Hale, a pro-LGBT Catholic-identifying Democrat who describes himself as a "political operative," claimed on his "Letters from Leo" Substack that "the Holy See and Obama's entourage have been in talks about making (a) meeting happen."

The 44th president stated in a February podcast that he would like to meet Pope Leo: "The person who I have not yet met that I'm looking forward to meeting – and I hope I get an opportunity sometime in the future – is the new pope, who's from Chicago, and a White Sox fan."

Pope Leo was born and raised in the Chicago area, while Obama moved to the city in the 1980s to build his political career. Axelrod has been a longtime Chicago resident as well.

This is a developing story ...

Let's face the facts, Obama had no such intentions as Make America Great Again. Nor most obviously does or has the Vatican globalist religio-political machine. Super power governments which are for and by their own people, are in fact a threat to the designs of unelected globalist elitists designs. Most people simply are not really comfortable with being told that they will own nothing, and be happy about such. Or having the wealth, natural resources, jobs, opportunities, freedoms, and liberties of their nations being redistributed by such unelected officials as they see fit, without their consent. 

[Amo]

https://www.thedailybeast.com/top-dem-boasts-about-his-meeting-with-pope-leo-after-maga-goons-threat/

Quoted article below from link above.

Top Dem Boasts About His Meeting With Pope Leo After MAGA Goon's Threat

Former President Barack Obama's chief strategist has spilled on his secretive meeting with Pope Leo XIV, shedding light on a visit that has raised eyebrows.

David Axelrod sat down the first American-born pontiff on Thursday in a meeting that reportedly overran, delaying Leo's next appointment by roughly 30 minutes.

His visit added intrigue to a meeting that had sparked speculation about whether Obama himself could soon secure an audience with the Chicago-born pope, before President Donald Trump does. Obama said in February that he hopes to meet the pontiff "sometime in the future."

The timing also drew scrutiny, as it coincided with a report by The Free Press that Pentagon officials had berated Cardinal Christophe Pierre, the Vatican's top diplomat to the U.S., over Leo's criticism of Trump's warmongering.

According to the report, senior officials Elbridge Colby, a Catholic who serves as undersecretary of defense for policy, warned Pierre that the pontiff "better take its side."

Asked by Politico's Shia Kapos what brought Axelrod to the Vatican, the Democrat remained cagey, but gushed over the pontiff, who succeeded the late Pope Francis.

"All I can say is that I requested the audience and this was set months ago," Axelrod, who is Jewish, told Kapos, describing the meeting as "very personal" and adding that he was "a great admirer."

Axelrod's visit unfolded against a widening public rift between Leo and Trump over the president's decision on Feb. 28 to launch coordinated strikes with Israel against Iran.

This week, Trump warned that "a whole civilization will die tonight" if Iran refused to reopen Strait of Hormuz within 12 hours. In response, Leo denounced the conflict as "unjust" and said Trump's threats were "truly unacceptable."

"People want peace," the pontiff said. "I would invite the citizens of all the countries involved to contact the authorities, political leaders, congressmen to ask them tell them to work for peace and to reject war always."

The president later U-turned on his threat and announced a two-week ceasefire.

Leo has also kept his distance from Washington, declining an invitation from the White House to attend the United States' 250th anniversary celebrations this summer.

The Daily Beast has contacted the White House for comment.

Good reason for a Pope not to attend a nations celebration of a Declaration of Independence, and Constitution the basic principles of which, the Papacy has never really agreed with. As directly expressed in the two Papal Encyclicals published after the re-establishment of the Papacy, after being disband near the end of the French Revolution.

[Amo]

https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2026-04/pope-leo-xiv-italy-inps-national-social-security-right-work.html

Quoted article below from link above. Emphasis is mine.

Pope: Social security systems must foster economic justice and right to work

Pope Leo XIV meets with a delegation from the Italian National Institute for Social Security, and urges national welfare systems to promote social responsibility and economic development.

Pope Leo XIV met on Friday with executives and employees of the Italian National Institute for Social Security (INPS), which acts as Italy's national pension system.

In his address, the Pope said the agency serves an important social role by ensuring the fair distribution of wealth to meet the needs of many vulnerable people in situations of hardship.

This role, he said, gives INPS "the possibility of acting effectively in promoting a social responsibility that combines economic development and community cohesion, guiding choices toward the common good."

Pope Leo went on to reflect on the disparity between wealth and distribution, noting that much wealth is concentrated in the hands of a few people.

"Many hundreds of millions of people across the planet," he said, "are immersed in extreme poverty and lack food, shelter, medical care, schools, electricity, drinking water, and indispensable sanitary services."

Yet, added the Pope, inequality is not a result of determinism, but rather requires honesty and a moral compass to address the equitable distribution of resources.

"Within such a horizon," he said, "the response to the concrete needs of persons has always been at the center of the attention of the Catholic Church, both as regards the world of work and assistance to the needy."

Pope Leo XIV recalled the long history of Catholic Social Teaching, which his predecessor and namesake, Pope Leo XIII, did much to express in his encyclical, Rerum novarum.

The late 19th century Pope called for social security and social assistance to ensure that workers never lack work and may have access to a system that provides for their needs in case of illness, accident, or old age.

Since then, Pope St. John XXIII, Pope St. Paul VI, Pope St. John Paul II, and Pope Benedict XVI have all upheld people's human right to receive welfare assistance in case of a life-event that prohibits them from working.

However, noted Pope Leo XIV, both Pope St. John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI offered a "critique of welfare dependency".

In the social magisterium of Pope Francis, especially in Fratelli tutti, the Social Doctrine of the Church raises the "welfare state to the status of a true universal right."

"The model proposed is that of a system of solidaristic security, based on the principles of subsidiarity, social responsibility, and human fraternity, always with the aim of directing welfare intervention so as to allow everyone 'a dignified life through work'," said Pope Leo.

The Pope thanked the Italian pension agency for its efforts to protect the weakest and make strategic investments in the formation of young people.

"Even in the face of the need to guarantee the sustainability of the system," he said, "your commitment must always be directed also toward safeguarding its solidaristic fabric and its fairness, both at the pension level and in accompanying the worker along his or her professional path."

The labor system of the 21st century has changed drastically, said the Pope, recalling the rise of the gig economy, globalization leading to outsourcing of jobs, and increasing precariousness in career paths.

In conclusion, Pope Leo XIV called on the executives and employees of INPS to keep the human person at the center of their efforts, so that "no one may lack dignity and freedom to live an authentically human life."

[Amo]

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/pope-leo-jd-vance-rubio-vatican-b2753761.html

Quoted article below from link above.

JD Vance invites Pope Leo to the White House on behalf of Trump during first meeting

Vice president's closed-door meeting with U.S.-born pontiff comes almost a month after he met with the late Pope Francis

Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio held their first formal meeting with Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican a day after attending the pontiff's inaugural mass.

During his visit to the Apostolic Palace on Monday morning, Vance, a Catholic convert, gave the 69-year-old Chicago-born pontiff a letter penned by President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump in which the couple urged him to visit the White House.

According to video footage of the meeting taken by Vatican Media and obtained by the Associated Press, Pope Leo was heard saying, "at some point."

In the private meeting, which was initially one-on-one before they were also joined by Second Lady Usha Vance, Rubio and his wife Jeanette Rubio, the vice president's office said that Leo was given two of St Augustine's most seminal works: The City of God and On Christian Doctrine.

A third gift was a Chicago Bears T-shirt adorned with "Pope Leo XIV."

In return, Leo gave Vance a bronze sculpture with "Peace is a fragile flower" etched in Italian. The vice president also received a small picture book of the papal apartments in the Apostolic Palace.

"As you can probably imagine, people in the United States are extremely excited about you," Vance told the pope upon exchanging gifts.

The meeting comes less than a month after Vance met the late Pope Francis, who had previously rebuked the Trump administration's mass deportation plans, a day before his death on Easter Sunday.

Vance and Rubio also met with Vatican foreign minister Archbishop Paul Gallagher on Monday for a "cordial" meeting that reaffirmed "good bilateral relations."

"There was an exchange of views on some current international issues, calling for respect for humanitarian law and international law in areas of conflict and for a negotiated solution between the parties involved," the Vatican said in a statement.

The meetings were set against a backdrop of simmering tensions with the papacy publicly criticizing Vance's understanding of Catholicism and the Trump administration's anti-immigrant rhetoric. In return, some conservative pundits and MAGA loyalists have complained about what they deemed the pontiff's progressive values.

The Trump administration hopes to hold out an olive branch and reset relations with the Vatican by working harmoniously on resolving Russia's war in Ukraine.

The vice president led the U.S. delegation to Pope Leo's inaugural mass on Sunday, during which the pontiff called for peace in Gaza, Ukraine, and Myanmar.

A source in the Ukrainian delegation told Reuters that Vance and Rubio also met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Trump is expected to speak to both Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday.

For the rest of the day, Vance met with foreign leaders, including European Union Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Italy's Premier Giorgia Meloni, who said she hoped the meeting could be a "new beginning."

Hmmmm? Both future Republican Catholic Presidential hopefuls, starting meetings with the Pope, years before either of their possible Presidencies.

[Amo]

https://www.rawstory.com/jd-vance-catholic-church/

Calls mount for Pope to punish JD Vance: 'Excommunicate the heretic!'

Vice President JD Vance was under fire on Thursday after a number of voices called for his excommunication from the Catholic Church.

Vance has described himself as a devout Catholic and has a new book coming out about his faith journey. But critics of the vice president have demanded Pope Leo punish Vance and take a stand after the Church leader called President Donald Trump's threat to wipe out the Iranian civilization "truly unacceptable."

The internet shared their thoughts on what they believe the pope should do.

"The Chicago pope must excommunicate the heretic JD Vance," Elizabeth Lopatto, editor at The Verge, wrote on Bluesky.

"Excommunicate JD Vance. Place Washington D.C. under interdict. The whole diocese of Arlington, too, for good measure - that's where half the Supreme Court goes to mass," Molly Conger, host of the "Weird Little Guys" podcast on Cool Zone Media, wrote on Bluesky.

"Petition for the Pope to personally excommunicate JD Vance over this nonsense," writer Kathryn Brightbill wrote via Bluesky.

"Pope Leo I'm gonna level with you it's time to either excommunicate JD Vance or shut up," Jack Kennedy, Ph.D. candidate at Hertie School in Berlin, Germany, and editorial fellow at The Bulletin, wrote on Bluesky.

"Excommunicate JD Vance," Aparna Nair, writer, teacher and disability advocate, wrote on Bluesky, adding a vulgar acronym to emphasize her point.

"Come on Pope Leo, excommunicate his a--!" astrophysicist Alfredo Carpineti posted on Bluesky. "I want him to have to beg for forgiveness like Holy Roman Emperor Henry IV in the snow for three days."

A perfect example of what many Catholics would like to effect if or when they have enough power to do so. The manipulation of this and or any other nations which have enough Catholic influence and or agreement, to put such into effect. Control of the ever increasing numbers of Catholic politicians by the Vatican, through fear of excommunication or interdict, over and above the will of the people by whom they were elected. Just as it was during the Dark Ages. This is why our founders wished to maintain freedom by a healthy separation of Church and State.

[Amo]

https://adventmessenger.org/hollywood-celebrity-matthew-mcconaughey-elevates-pope-leo-xiv-as-the-moral-compass-of-the-world/

Quoted article below from link above. Where video may be viewed as well.

Hollywood Celebrity Matthew McConaughey Elevates Pope Leo XIV as the Moral Compass of the World

Matthew McConaughey, an A-list Hollywood actor and one of the most recognizable figures in the entertainment industry, appeared on NBC News and described Pope Leo XIV as a "moral compass" for the world—not merely for Catholics. Speaking on NBC's TODAY Show after meeting the Pontiff at the Vatican, McConaughey described the Papacy as a universal moral authority for the world. This is the kind of public reverence Revelation 13 and 17 describe as the world begins to "wonder after the beast" (Revelation 13:3). Revelation 17 portrays an ecclesiastical power whose influence reaches the "kings of the earth." When a major celebrity figure uses mainstream media platforms to present the Pope as the global moral compass, we are watching Catholic influence expanding beyond the Church and into the broader culture of the world.

Scripture is clear about where the Christian's moral compass must point. Isaiah 8:20 states, "To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them." No individual human or office can replace the Word of God as the standard of truth and righteousness. When society begins looking to a religious leader as the universal source of moral direction, human authority is being elevated above the authority of Scripture. That is the precise danger the prophets warned against.

The phrase "moral compass of the world" is especially significant. Revelation describes a religious power whose moral and spiritual claims extend over the nations. When entertainers, journalists, political figures, and cultural influencers increasingly treat the Papacy as the world's moral voice, we should recognize the growing fulfillment of that prophecy. The danger intensifies when the national media amplifies the message. When NBC News broadcasts the idea that the Pope is the moral compass of the world, it becomes an indoctrination campaign. The conclusion is clear: society must look to him for guidance. Such messaging does not remain in the realm of private opinion; it shapes public sentiment and, ultimately, helps prepare the way for civil legislation that enforces religious claims.

This is where the Sabbath-Sunday controversy becomes critical. Rome has long identified Sunday with its authority and tradition. Pope Leo XIV has recently urged the sanctification of Sunday, calling it the "foundation and kernel" of the liturgical year and pressing for conditions that enable people to observe it. Revelation 13 predicts that civil power will eventually enforce this counterfeit day of rest in opposition to the seventh-day Sabbath of the Creator. The elevation of the papacy as a global moral authority is one of the means by which that enforcement becomes acceptable.

If society increasingly accepts the Pope as a universal moral authority, the question naturally follows: What happens when his moral teachings begin being promoted as public policy? Revelation 13 warns that the final crisis will not remain merely theological. Religious demands will ultimately receive the support of civil authority: "And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark." Revelation 13:16

The final crisis will concern worship, authority, and obedience. The controversy will ultimately force us all to choose between the commandments of God and the commandments of men. Sunday enforcement becomes especially significant because it places an institution of ecclesiastical tradition in direct competition with the seventh-day Sabbath established by God at Creation and commanded in the Decalogue.

That is why the growing exaltation of Papal moral authority should not be dismissed as merely celebrity praise. Prophecy tells us where the world's admiration of religious authority eventually leads: "And all the world wondered after the beast." Revelation 13:3. Yet God's answer to this worldwide religious movement is found immediately afterward in Revelation 14. Heaven does not call or command us to recognize a pope, church, government, or celebrity as its moral guidance. We are called to look to God, His Word, His commandments, and His authority: "Fear God, and give glory to him... and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters" Revelation 14:7.

Those words deliberately point us back to the Creator and the fourth commandment: "For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is" Exodus 20:11. There are therefore two calls developing before the world. One increasingly directs people toward religious tradition and human authority; the other—the Three Angels' Messages—calls everyone back to the Creator and the seventh-day Sabbath. Jesus Christ and His word alone must become our moral authority: "I am the way, the truth, and the life" John 14:6.

The Christian's compass does not point toward Hollywood, Washington, or Rome. It points toward Christ and the Word of God. And as the Papacy receives increasing admiration and moral credibility throughout the world, God's faithful people must recognize the prophetic significance of the trend and proclaim with greater urgency the final warning entrusted to them: "Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus" Revelation 14:12.

Jhn 14:15 If ye love me, keep my commandments. 16 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; 17 Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.

Jhn 15:18 If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. 19 If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. 20 Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also. 21 But all these things will they do unto you for my name's sake, because they know not him that sent me. 22 If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin: but now they have no cloke for their sin.

Jhn 17:10 And all mine are thine, and thine are mine; and I am glorified in them. 11 And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are. 12 While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled. 13 And now come I to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves. 14 I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. 15 I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil. 16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. 17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. 18 As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world. 19 And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth.

Jhn 18:36 Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence. 37 Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice.

Why would the supposed highest representative of Christ's church, want to be the moral compass of this world? Of which world, Christ's own are to have no part?

[Amo]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_meetings_between_the_pope_and_the_president_of_the_United_States

Interesting link to Wikipedia, list of meetings between the pope and presidents of the United States.

No meetings between them until 1919, Woodrow Wilson.

No more meetings from then to 1959. Then from that time forward, almost every president has met with the pope. Hmmmm? Wonder what happened unto such a change?

[Amo]

https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2026-08/pope-leo-xiv-receives-the-president-of-lebanon.html

Pope Leo XIV meets Lebanese President: seeking a just and lasting peace

[Amo]

https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2026-07/pope-leo-meets-with-the-president-of-the-republic-of-colombia.html

Pope Leo meets with the President of the Republic of Colombia

[Amo]

https://www.ncregister.com/cna/pope-leo-meets-chicago-mayor

Pope Leo XIV Meets With Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson

[Amo]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rqf4LWZ1gJ0

World leaders and celebrities lining up to meet the pope.

[Amo]

https://www.reuters.com/world/rubio-meet-pope-leo-trump-keeps-up-attacks-pontiff-2026-05-07/

Rubio meets pope.

[Amo]

https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2025-05/pope-leo-meets-with-prime-minister-of-australia.html

Pope Leo meets with Prime Minister of Australia

[Amo]

https://www.usccb.org/news/2025/pope-meets-israeli-president-discusses-tragic-situation-gaza

Pope meets Israeli president, discusses 'tragic' situation in Gaza

[Amo]

https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2025-10/pope-leo-xiv-meets-brazilian-president-lula-in-private-audience.html

Pope Leo meets with Brazilian President Lula da Silva

[Amo]

https://catholiconline.news/vatican-city/pope-leo-xiv-meets-with-lgbtq-advocates-sr-lucia-caram-and-fr-james-martin/

Pope Leo XIV Meets with LGBTQ Advocates Sr. Lucia Caram and Fr. James Martin

[Amo]

https://cruxnow.com/church-in-the-americas/2025/10/brazils-lula-meets-with-pope-leo-and-tries-to-keep-friendship-he-had-with-francis

Brazil's Lula meets with Pope Leo and tries to keep friendship he had with Francis

[Amo]

https://time.com/article/2026/06/06/pope-leo-spain-trip-schedule-francis-legacy-migrants-war-political-backdrop/

What to Know About Pope Leo's Journey to Spain—and How It Honors the Late Pope Francis

[Amo]

https://ewtnvatican.com/articles/pope-leo-xiv-meets-illinois-governor-pritzker

UPDATE: Pope Leo XIV meets with his home state's governor