this post was submitted on 09 Apr 2026
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[–] pleaseletmein@lemmy.zip 4 points 21 hours ago

Well, just look at what JD Vance did to the last one.

[–] muusemuuse@sh.itjust.works 3 points 21 hours ago* (last edited 21 hours ago)

People forget head of the Vatican is an incredibly powerful political position. The pope changing his plans doesn’t say he’s afraid of you. It says you are less reasonable than the Catholic Church.

His absence is so much more damaging to the GOP than his presence. He played them good!

That being said, I am a little disappointed the pope didn’t call Donald’s bluff. If he shows up and died on American soil, the entire world (who needs only half a reason to stop tolerating our shit) would unite against us. If he survived, Trump would look even more impotent. Damn.

[–] Stamau123@lemmy.world 97 points 2 days ago (3 children)

On the matter VP Vance had this to say "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."

this is coming from the "Haitians are breaking into homes to eat your pets!" guy

[–] MonkeMischief@lemmy.today 3 points 21 hours ago* (last edited 21 hours ago)

this is coming from the "Haitians are breaking into homes to eat your pets!" guy

Also the "If I have to create stories that's what I'll do." (About this exact thing) Guy.

What a chode.

[–] ChadGPT2@lemmy.world 13 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

Nothing reasonable about pedophile protecting fascist JD Vance. Let’s not allow them to position him as a viable leader.

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[–] MehBlah@lemmy.world 2 points 1 day ago

Mission Accomplished.

[–] BigMacHole@thelemmy.club 188 points 2 days ago (15 children)

Threatening the POPE is EXACTLY what Jesus would Do!

-Republicans who want the Bible to be Law!

[–] dhork@lemmy.world 49 points 2 days ago (2 children)

Most of those Republicans are some flavor of Protestant, so it tracks

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[–] atzanteol@sh.itjust.works 32 points 2 days ago (15 children)

You understand that magats are typically protestant right?

Jesus (as written) would likely be very upset about a church that builds enormous cathedrals, hoards gold, has a corrupt "priest class" and has at times waged war.

[–] EldritchFeminity@lemmy.blahaj.zone 3 points 1 day ago (1 children)

This is making some heavy assumptions about what the average MAGAT knows about Jesus. As far as most of them are concerned, Jesus' favorite gun would be an AR-15.

For them, the Bible is merely a thick paper tweet to be used to smack anybody who disagrees with them like a cartoon character smacking a dog with the newspaper.

[–] atzanteol@sh.itjust.works 2 points 1 day ago

This is making some heavy assumptions about what the average MAGAT knows about Jesus. As far as most of them are concerned, Jesus’ favorite gun would be an AR-15.

Sure - but one thing they also know is that "Catholics aren't Christian".

[–] RaoulDook@lemmy.world 27 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Another thing to know about is that most of the Supreme Court justices are Catholics

[–] Catoblepas@piefed.blahaj.zone 24 points 2 days ago (1 children)

6 of the 9 justices, 5 of them chosen by Republicans. Pretty wild for a country that’s 1/5th Catholic.

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[–] DmMacniel@feddit.org 209 points 2 days ago (13 children)

It is being reported by The Free Press that in the meeting [Undersecretary of Defense for Policy Elbridge] Colby told [the Vatican ambassador to the U.S.] Pierre, "The United States has the military power to do whatever it wants in the world. The Catholic Church had better take its side."

well the US has now totally gone rogue.

[–] MisterFrog@lemmy.world 1 points 23 hours ago

well the US has now totally gone rogue.

🌎🧑‍🚀🔫🧑‍🚀

They're just saying the quiet part out loud now

[–] rozodru@piefed.world 85 points 2 days ago (11 children)

at this point a "military operation" into Vatican City of all places by the US wouldn't surprise me.

[–] Zombiepirate@lemmy.world 70 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Someone in the meeting then reportedly mentioned the Avignon Papacy to Pierre. This refers to a 14th century attack on the Vatican by the French king, in which Pope Boniface VIII was murdered by assassins and the Vatican was forced to relocate to Avignon where it could be controlled by the French crown for the next 67 years.

FTA

[–] joekar1990@lemmy.world 43 points 2 days ago (2 children)

Holy shit did someone in the administration actually correctly use a historical reference?

[–] rainwall@piefed.social 33 points 2 days ago (3 children)

Im sure they just asked grok about pope murders so they could make a absolutely ludicrious threat.

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[–] grte@lemmy.ca 66 points 2 days ago (2 children)

he United States has the military power to do whatever it wants in the world

There's this thing with a strait that seems to suggest otherwise.

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[–] samus12345@sh.itjust.works 24 points 2 days ago

Once, this was satire:

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[–] kreskin@lemmy.world 42 points 2 days ago (1 children)

So they threatened the pope of the catholic church with assassination.... Thats some Israeli level shit. Is Trump even the president at this point?

[–] green_goglin@thelemmy.club 39 points 2 days ago

Vance already took out the last pope.

[–] tristynalxander@mander.xyz 26 points 1 day ago (1 children)

"Trump deports Pope" is on my bingo card.

[–] robocall@lemmy.world 8 points 1 day ago

the Pope is American but still seems like a playable option

So when do prominent american catholics start getting excommunicated?

[–] stumu415@lemmy.zip 54 points 2 days ago (2 children)

If I was the pope and meeting JD the couch fucker was in the agenda, I'd also decline. Considering what happened to the previous pope who met that turd with makeup.

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[–] assa123@lemmy.world 39 points 2 days ago (3 children)

let's not forget Vance already killed the last pope by extreme cringe

[–] merdaverse@lemmy.zip 12 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Completely understandable if you lose the will to live after meeting Vance

[–] hydroptic@sopuli.xyz 9 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

The Pope met Vance and realized that there's no God, and died of a broken heart

[–] hardcoreufo@lemmy.world 1 points 1 day ago

Well he did catch JD and the papal couch in a comprising position. Its enough to fracture even the strongest hearts.

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[–] santa@sh.itjust.works 23 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Does threatening The Pope and starting a war with Iran disqualify you from retaining a gold plastic FIFA Peace Prize?

[–] AdolfSchmitler@lemmy.world 6 points 1 day ago (1 children)

The fifa peace prize used to mean something

[–] stylusmobilus@aussie.zone 2 points 21 hours ago

Now it’s just another piece of silverware sold to corrupt interests

[–] Tronn4@lemmy.world 19 points 2 days ago

"Did u even say thank you, pope?" -Vance

[–] CmdrShepard49@sh.itjust.works 22 points 2 days ago (5 children)

Kinda funny considering this pope is an American.

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[–] workerONE@lemmy.world 31 points 2 days ago (2 children)

This is a huge story and I'm trying to find another source that also claims threats were made.

[–] FauxLiving@lemmy.world 25 points 2 days ago

https://www.newsweek.com/avignon-papacy-explained-what-reported-us-threat-to-pope-and-vatican-means-11803877

As things got heated, Colby reportedly lectured Cardinal Pierre on the military power of the U.S. and told him that the Catholic Church must pick a side, according to Hale, and mentioned the “Avignon papacy.”

All information about the meeting was obtained by Ferraresi from Vatican and U.S. officials briefed on the Pentagon meeting. What Could Such a Reference Indicate?

There is no doubt that a reference to the “Avignon papacy” by a Pentagon official was meant to make the Vatican feel uneasy about crossing the Trump administration.

Some have suggested that the reference of this chapter of medieval history might signal the Trump administration’s intention to trigger a new schism, while others think it would suggest its willingness to use military force against the Holy See. Ferraresi, however, said that interpreting it as a military threat is “just absurd.”

According to Mike Young, author of a newsletter on civic accountability, the mention of the “Avignon papacy” was a reference to “an implicit model for what happens to religious institutions that oppose state power.”

In a post on X, he wrote: “That’s not a slip of the tongue. That’s a studied historical reference deployed deliberately in a room with the Pope's senior diplomat. The message was not subtle.”

[–] dhork@lemmy.world 26 points 2 days ago

I've seen other references elsewhere. Any quotes on what was said seem to reference the Free Press article. But the other sources are still reporting that there was a meeting, and the Vatican didn't like what they heard,whatever it was.

https://www.the-independent.com/news/world/americas/us-politics/pope-leo-visit-us-trump-president-b2954080.html

According to Vatican and U.S. officials who were briefed on the meeting and spoke to the publication, the Pentagon criticized the Pope's statements in January, interpreting them as hostile attacks on Trump's policies.

....

A Vatican official speaking to The Free Press said the Pope has no plans to visit the U.S. while Trump is in office.

[–] vga@sopuli.xyz 21 points 2 days ago (6 children)
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