According to the report, the threat emerged during a meeting between Cardinal Christophe Pierre, at the time the papal nuncio, the Vatican’s ambassador to the US, and senior American defense officials. It followed Pope Leo speaking out against the increasing propensity to use force to settle international disputes. The paper said an unnamed US official had mentioned the time a French king had appointed a pope in the French city of Avignon to oppose the pope in Rome. The White House has since said the Trump administration has a positive relationship with the Vatican.
