Cardinal’s meeting at Pentagon was ‘unusual,’ Vatican official says
The Washington Post • • nation
Key Points:
- Tensions between President Donald Trump’s administration and the Vatican have been simmering during the first year of his second term, despite the presence of the first U.S.-born pope.
- Concerns expressed by Pope Leo XIV and Vatican officials centered on the administration’s policies in Venezuela, Minneapolis, and other areas.
- On January 22, Pentagon officials hosted Cardinal Christophe Pierre, the Vatican’s ambassador to the U.S., for a rare meeting, marking an unusual engagement between a church official and the Defense Department.
- This meeting deviated from the norm, as Vatican diplomats typically engage with the State Department or White House rather than the Pentagon.
