Bannon’s⁢ Plans to Target Pope Francis⁢ Revealed in Epstein Files

Newly ⁣released documents⁤ from Jeffrey Epstein’s ⁣files reveal⁣ that Steve Bannon, a former advisor to President Donald trump, discussed plans with Epstein to “take down” Pope Francis. The⁢ exchanges, dating back to June⁣ 2019, indicate Bannon’s intent to discredit the Pope, referencing political figures like Bill⁣ and Hillary clinton, Chinese⁤ President⁤ Xi Jinping, and the European ‍union alongside Francis.

Bannon’s Criticism of Pope Francis

bannon, a self-identified Roman Catholic, has publicly voiced strong criticism of Pope Francis, viewing⁣ the‍ Pope’s progressive stance ⁢as being at odds with ⁢his⁢ own “sovereigntist” ideology. In a 2018 interview with The ⁢Spectator, Bannon described the pope as ‍“beneath contempt” and ⁤accused him of supporting “globalist elites.”

The Epstein Connection and ‘In the⁣ Closet of the Vatican’

The ⁤newly unveiled⁢ correspondence shows Bannon seeking Epstein’s input on a book⁤ that could possibly aid his efforts. He inquired whether Epstein had read In the Closet of the vatican, a 2019 publication by Frédéric Martel that alleges‍ a meaningful percentage ‍of clergy within the Vatican identify as gay. ⁢Bannon even playfully⁤ suggested to Epstein that⁢ he was now the “exec‍ producer of ‘ITCOTV’”, referencing a potential film adaptation of the book. Epstein replied, ‍noting that intellectual Noam Chomsky was also inquiring about the film project.

Further Evidence in the Epstein Files

Additional documents show Epstein emailed⁢ himself a message in April 2019 referencing “in the closet of the⁣ Vatican” and forwarded an article titled “Pope Francis or Steve Bannon? Catholics must choose.” Bannon⁤ replied to ⁤this article ⁤with⁤ a simple “Easy choice,” demonstrating his clear preference.

Political Fallout and Previous Conflicts

This revelation adds another layer to the complex relationship between prominent political figures and the late Jeffrey Epstein.It also highlights ⁤existing tensions between Pope ⁤Francis and several conservative figures. Though publicly paying tribute to Pope ⁣Francis after his death in April 2025, describing him as a “good⁣ man,” Donald Trump previously engaged in public disputes with the Pope over issues like‍ immigration policy during his 2016 ⁢presidential campaign. In 2016, Pope Francis criticized Trump’s ⁣vow to build a wall ⁤on the U.S.-Mexico border, stating that a focus on building walls rather than bridges is⁣ unchristian. NPR reported on this conflict at the time.

More recently, Pope Francis clashed with Vice President JD Vance over⁤ the concept of “ordo amoris,” a hierarchical view of love, with the Pope emphasizing the importance of universal Christian love. Vance and Pope ‍Francis met in Rome last year, shortly before the Pope’s ⁤death on April‍ 21, 2025.

ongoing Investigation

The Self-reliant has reached out ⁣to representatives for steve Bannon for ‍comment.This story ‍is developing as further details emerge from the Epstein files.