“If yu live in a glasshouse
Don’t throw stones
And if you can’t take blows brother
Don’t throw blows
Harm no man
Let no man harm you
Do unto others
As they would do to you”
Song by Peter Tosh, in 1983
The late prime minister of India, Mrs. Indira Gandhi, the daughter of that country’s first prime minister, Mr. Jawaharlal Nehru, was assassinated on October 31, 1984, by her Sikh bodyguards. The fatal attack on Mrs. Gandhi, who was not a blood relation of the Mahatma Gandhi, was carried out in retaliation for having ordered Operation Blue Star, in June 1984, military action which involved storming the Golden Temple in Amritsar — Sikhism’s holiest shrine — to remove militants, resulting in significant civilian casualties and perceived desecration of the temple.
That moment in history came to mind when I learned this week that the Pentagon, under the leadership of United States Defense Secretary, Mr. Pete Hegseth, had issued a threat against the Pope, the leader of the Roman Catholic faith, with devotees, globally, numbering approximately 1.422 billion people, representing about 17.8% of the world’s population.
Multiple news articles were published on this matter, and the headline of one of them, written by Mr. David Kurtz, on April 9th, read as follows: “Pentagon Threatened Pope After He Criticized Trump”. The irony of this situation, if it is true, is that it came out of a country, which allegedly, is a bastion of free speech and of holding its public officials accountable, and from out of a powerful branch of its government which is being led by someone who is expected to display, at all times, more diplomatic wisdom and adult maturity given the powerful and sensitive role which he plays, perhaps more than any other official in the administration. The article revealed that: “In January, a senior Pentagon official summoned the Vatican’s ambassador to the United States and issued a stunning threat, The Free Press reported this week: ‘The United States has the military power to do whatever it wants in the world. The Catholic Church had better take its side.’”
The article then went on to state that “Undersecretary of Defense for Policy Elbridge Colby proceeded to raise with then-ambassador Cardinal Christophe Pierre the Avignon papacy of the 14th century, a protracted period of French royal interference in the Roman Catholic Church that resulted for a time in dueling popes sitting in Rome and Avignon, France….Christopher Hale, who is the editor of the Letters from Leo newsletter, independently confirmed the Free Press report and adds these two morsels to the schism between the American Pope and
AmericanPresident:
‘Some Vatican officials were so alarmed by the Pentagon’s tactics that they shelved plans for Pope Leo XIV to visit the United States later this year.’
‘Other officials in the Vatican saw the Pentagon’s reference to an Avignon papacy as a threat to use military force against the Holy See.’ ”
The Secretary of Defense might have forgotten that Americans were so sensitive towards the political power of the Holy See and wary of the influence which it enjoys and which it exercises over world leaders that they did not want a Catholic to be elected as President of the United States. The late John F. Kennedy was the first Catholic U.S. president, taking office on January 20, 1961. As the 35th president, his 1960 election was a historic moment, as he overcame significant anti-Catholic prejudice to become the first person of that faith elected to the nation’s highest office. And then, after several decades, lightning struck a second time when another Catholic was elected to high office in the person of former president, Joseph R. Biden. But, then again, perhaps the threat issued by the U.S. Defense Department under the leadership of Secretary Hegseth was not only indicative of his knowledge of these historical facts, but also due, possibly, to his own fear with respect to the influence that the Pope has in the world, even if he is not as powerful as his predecessors once were centuries ago.
This writer is not of the Roman Catholic persuasion, and modern-day adherents to the faith, including the current Pope and his predecessors, are and have been strong proponents of peace in the world and of humanitarian efforts to improve and to safeguard the welfare of all human beings living on this planet. Many of them are calm, thoughtful and well-respected people in the American society and in other societies around the world. But one ought not to tempt fate. Some within Catholicism might view the threat that was issued against the Pope — who is their federal head — as also, by extension, a threat against them. The U.S. government, as is the case with any responsible government in the world, ought to be extremely careful where it throws stones. Most people in most religions are reasonable and peaceful individuals, but there can be and often are extremists. The U.S. has the most powerful military in the world now, but it cannot fight everyone. It has nuclear weapons, but so do other nations, with, no doubt, some ready to come to the aid of the Holy See if the threat is carried out.
The Americas are home to about 47.7% of all Catholics in the world, with 20.3% in Africa, 20.1% in Europe, 11% in Asia, and 0.9% in Oceania. Brazil has the highest concentration of Catholics in the world with 182 million people. Africa shows the strongest growth in Catholic population, with the Democratic Republic of Congo having approximately 55 million devotees to the faith and Nigeria with 35 million. The number of apostolic workers, which includes bishops, priests, and religious workers, is roughly 4.46 million. The Catholic Church is headquartered in Vatican City, and 42% of its cardinals still hail from Europe. There are roughly 15 to 20 European countries with a predominantly Catholic population, concentrated largely in Southern and Western Europe. Majorities or strong pluralities are found in nations such as Italy, Spain, Poland, France, Portugal, Austria, Ireland, Belgium, Lithuania, and Malta, alongside smaller states like Vatican City and San Marino.
One would be remiss, given the current controversy, which was started by the United States, not to look at demographic data dealing with Catholicism within its borders — yea, even within its own government.
As of early 2025, there are 24 Catholic senators in the 119th U.S. Congress, comprising 24% of the Senate. This includes 13 Democrats and 11 Republicans. Catholics are the largest Christian denomination in Congress. Catholics represent 150 members across both chambers with 126 in the House, 24 in the Senate. While Catholics make up roughly 20% of the U.S. adult population, they represent over 28% of Congress, showing that they are overrepresented. The 24 Catholic senators hold a similar presence to the previous Congress, which also had 24 Catholics in the Senate. The current Vice President, J.D. Vance, is the highest-ranking Catholic in the U.S. government. And so, one has to heed the lesson, like that emanating from the tragic incident surrounding Mrs. Gandhi’s demise, especially in volatile times as these. But, as I had said before, Catholics are peaceful people and that is not likely to happen. In fact, I do not see them wishing on the Secretary whatever he proposes against the Pope. I, therefore, join with Catholics and with all peace-loving people by praying that he receives wisdom from on high, and for the attendant blessings which come with such wisdom. And even if he is not inclined to peace, let us, to the contrary, continue to take the high ground. Too much blood has already been spilt in the world, because of acrimonious attitudes akin to his.
