Bannon Epstein messages reveal plan against Pope Francis

The Bannon Epstein exchanges revealed by US Justice Department documents detail discussions about efforts targeting Pope Francis.

Justice Department documents reveal 2019 exchanges – Documents released by the U.S. Department of Justice reveal that Steve Bannon, former adviser to US President Donald Trump, discussed with financier Jeffrey Epstein possible ways to counter Pope Francis.

Messages exchanged between the two in 2019 show that Bannon sought to engage Epstein after leaving the first Trump administration. According to the documents, Bannon wrote in a June 2019 email: “We will bring down Francis. The Clintons, Xi, Francis, the EU: stay strong brother.” The Bannon Epstein messages are part of a broader set of communications released by federal authorities.

Political and ideological context of the exchanges

Bannon had been strongly critical of Pope Francis, whom he viewed as an opponent of his “sovereigntist” worldview. Pope Francis had openly criticized nationalism and emphasized the defense of migrants as a central element of his papacy.

The documents indicate that Bannon contacted Epstein multiple times in what investigators describe as attempts to weaken the late pope.

References to book and film project discussions

In the exchanges, Bannon referenced In the Closet of the Vatican, a 2019 book by French journalist Frédéric Martel. The book claims that a large share of clergy working in the Vatican are gay but keep their sexuality private.

Bannon was reportedly interested in turning the book into a film after meeting Martel in Paris. In messages, Bannon suggested Epstein could act as executive producer. Epstein did not comment on the proposal and instead asked Bannon to film Noam Chomsky.

Martel later told CNN he believed Bannon wanted to use the book against Pope Francis. Biographer Austen Ivereigh also said Bannon intended to use the book to damage the pope while claiming he wanted to “purify” the Church.

Other exchanges mentioned in the documents

In another section of the documents, Epstein joked with his brother Mark about inviting Pope Francis to his residence for a “massage” during the 2015 papal visit to the United States.

Three years later, Epstein sent Bannon a message saying he was trying to organize a trip for the pope to the Middle East, adding the proposed title “tolerance.”

Bannon also shared with Epstein an article describing Vatican condemnation of “populist nationalism.” Epstein replied by quoting John Milton’s Paradise Lost, writing: “Better to reign in Hell than serve in Heaven.”

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