Vice President J.D. Vance has pledged to investigate explosive claims that a U.S. official threatened a Vatican representative during a high-level diplomatic meeting earlier this year.
According to a recent report from The Free Press, unnamed Vatican officials allege that during a January meeting, officials from the U.S. Department of War pressured Cardinal Christophe Pierre—then the Vatican's ambassador to the United States—to align the Catholic Church with the Trump administration's military strategies. The alleged confrontation reportedly included threatening language directed at the cardinal.
Vance stated he first learned of the incident when questioned by reporters and expressed his intention to personally interview those involved before forming any conclusions. In a somewhat awkward admission, the vice president initially claimed not to know Cardinal Pierre, only to later recall having met him but not remembering his name.
A spokesperson for the War Department has pushed back against the allegations, telling Newsweek: "The meeting between Pentagon and Vatican officials was a respectful and reasonable discussion. We have nothing but the highest regard and welcome continued dialogue with the Holy See."
However, sources indicate Pope Leo XVI—the first American pontiff—remains deeply troubled by the reported incident, though the Vatican has yet to issue an official statement. The investigation comes at a sensitive time for U.S.-Vatican relations, with the vice president's probe potentially uncovering diplomatic tensions that have remained largely behind closed doors.