Newly released documents from the US Department of Justice reveal communication between Steve Bannon, a former adviser to President Donald Trump, and the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The discussions, dating back to 2019, reportedly involved Bannon’s ambitions to undermine Pope Francis, whom he labeled a significant opponent to his nationalistic ideals.
Bannon expressed to Epstein his goal to “take down” the pontiff, articulating his disdain for Francis by aligning the pope with figures he viewed as adversaries, including the Clintons and China’s Xi Jinping. Bannon’s ideology, which he refers to as “sovereigntism,” seeks to push back against globalist policies and values that he perceives as detrimental to national sovereignty.
The DOJ documents illustrate Bannon’s efforts to recruit Epstein’s influence in promoting his political agenda. Bannon previously accused Francis of representing “globalist elites” and believed that the pope’s perspectives on immigration and nationalism were incompatible with his own. His desire to challenge Francis was further underscored in previous comments where he openly called upon right-wing European leaders, like Italian Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini, to aggressively criticize the pontiff.
Bannon’s interaction with Epstein included discussions around the book “In the Closet of the Vatican” by journalist Frédéric Martel, which scrutinizes secrecy within the church, particularly around issues of homosexuality among clergy. Bannon even suggested that Epstein could serve as an executive producer for a film adaptation of Martel’s work, indicating an interest in using the book as a tool against the pope.
While Bannon hoped to exploit Martel’s findings, Austen Ivereigh, a biographer of Pope Francis, contends that Bannon misjudged both the content of the book and the resilience of Francis’s leadership. The Vatican has faced considerable scrutiny during this period, especially surrounding issues of clerical abuse, which have led to increased tensions between conservative factions and the papal leadership.
These documents also indicate that Epstein maintained a casual but troubling approach in his exchanges with Bannon, often making remarks about the pope and their mutual interests. The exchange between these two figures, especially against the backdrop of Bannon’s nationalistic endeavors, underscores a complex relationship between faith and politics, with implications that reach deep into issues of authority and governance.
Despite the contentiousness of their dialogue, Pope Francis continues to advocate for marginalized groups, promoting inclusiveness and challenging the very nationalism that Bannon champions. As Bannon faces his own legal battles, the release of these communications paints a broader picture of how political figures may seek to influence religious authority and redefine the landscape of faith through a partisan lens.