Seen from the outside, we do not perceive the metamorphosis of the United States: in four months, it has changed its political ideology (they are no longer “Jacksonians”), its military doctrine (they no longer apply the “Rumsfled-Cebrowski” strategy), and faith (they no longer believe in the plurality of religions). We are publishing a study on this change which requires us to completely revise our perception of this country.

*

On January 9, 2026, Pope Leo XIV presented his New Year wishes to foreign ambassadors. He declared in particular: “These days, the weakness of multilateralism on the international level is particularly worrying. Diplomacy that promotes dialogue and seeks consensus among all is replaced by diplomacy by force, individuals or groups of allies. War has come back into fashion and warlike fervour is spreading. The principle established after World War II, which prohibited countries from using force to violate other people’s borders, was violated. [1]. We no longer seek peace as a gift and a desirable good in ourselves “in the pursuit of an order willed by God, which implies a more perfect justice between men” [2] but we seek it by arms, as condition for asserting one’s own domination. This seriously threatens the rule of law which is the foundation of all peaceful civil coexistence.” [3].

This speech greatly displeased the United States Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth. He is a Christian Zionist, member of the Communion of Evangelical Reformed Churches (CREC), the sect of Pastor Douglas Wilson. Since September 30, 2025, he has been reforming the Pentagon, dismissing officers who had been appointed in favour of woke ideology and the rules of “diversity, equity and inclusion” (DEI) [4]. Above all, he questioned the role of “the family”, International Christian Leadership, within the Pentagon itself.

This association of military chaplains of all faiths was created in 1935 by the Methodist pastor Abraham Vereide. It had become, after the Second World War, the main justification for the Cold War: the struggle of the armies of the United States, defenders of the Faith, against the atheist communist armies. All the chiefs of staff were part of it until last year, and many politicians, American and allied, frequented it [5]. For 73 years, Pastor Billy Graham was its spokesperson. It was in this capacity that he was the spiritual advisor to twelve presidents of the United States, from Truman to Obama [6]. In France, the President of the Senate, Alain Poher, prayed within this group.

Also, on January 22, the Secretary of War summoned the apostolic nuncio to Washington, the French Cardinal Christophe Pierre. In principle, only foreign ministers can summon the ambassador of the Holy See. This was an exception. The prelate was not received by the secretary, but by his deputy, Elbridge Colby.

It is common knowledge that Pete Hegseth is more concerned with the culture war against the woke movement than with military issues. Elbridge Colby, for his part, is responsible for the strategy of the United States armies. He is a Catholic, grandson of William Colby who was director of the CIA during the Nixon mandate and knight of the Sovereign Order of Malta. Elbridge played a central role during Donald Trump’s first term and wrote a strange book: The Strategy of Denial: American defense in an age of great power conflict [7].

He explains that, to be free, the United States must prevent any other state from becoming more powerful than itself. There he developed a strategy to stop China’s development, not by waging war directly against it, but by waging war against its suppliers of energy and raw materials.

Elbridge Colby explained to His Eminence Christophe Pierre that the Holy See must have known for a long time that the United States is its best allies and that the pope should be more “loyal” (sic). The tone of the discussion escalated and Colby reminded the prelate that when a pope came into conflict with a king of France, the latter had a second pope elected. From 1378 to 1417, two popes, that of the Vatican and that of Avignon, mutually excommunicated each other within the framework of the “great Western schism”.

Similarly, when it came to Protestant churches when they were the majority in the United States, his own grandfather, William Colby, launched the International Congress on World Evangelism with Pastor Billy Graham to compete with the World Council of Churches (WCC) which spoke out against the Vietnam War. At the end of the interview, Elbridge Colby manifested the schism, in a gesture of defiance, by placing his pistol on the table.

The scene was recounted in different ways by several news outlets after The Free Press reported on it. [8]. The version that I am giving you was previously explained to me by a collaborator and friend who played a role in the Vatican. April 9, on the occasion of the new apostolic nuncio taking office in Washington, His Eminence Gabriele Caccia, the spokesperson for the Holy See, the British Matteo Bruni, confirmed that this meeting did take place, but did not wish to report on its progress. He just said the media reports were “absolutely false”. For his part, the United States Ambassador to the Holy See, Brian Birch, “categorically refuted” the reconstruction of the events presented by The Free Press.

Regardless, the Holy Father cancelled his planned trip to the United States.

As things got worse little by little, the Secretary of War invited Pastor Douglas Wilson to preach at the Pentagon, February 17, 2026 [9] However, during a quarter-hour sermon, the “Paleo-Confederate” pastor prayed for “the awakening of the black swan”, that is to say for a great awakening of Christianity in the United States. “God can do what he loves - and as we should know by now, what he loves to do is take the most improbable materials and do something glorious with it. Take a prayer meeting at the Pentagon as a possible example. Many stranger things have happened. “

In the days that followed, the doors of the Pentagon were closed to “the family” (including the Catholic Church). Only pastors of the Communion of Evangelical Reformed Churches (CREC), the Christian Zionist Church of Pete Hegseth, are now authorized there, for the monthly religious service of the Armies. Also, during the next service, on March 18, 2026, Secretary of War Pete Hegsteh delivered the homily himself. He prayed that US troops would inflict “overwhelmingly violent action against those who deserve no mercy... We ask this with bold confidence in the name of Almighty Jesus Christ. [10].

Later in the day, his department announced that the number of religions accepted in the armies would no longer be 200 or so, but 31. In addition, military chaplains would no longer wear their rank on their uniform and would instead wear religious insignia [11]. It seems that the Secretary of War wishes on the one hand to refocus the work of chaplains on the propagation of their faith and no longer on the personal problems of their flock [12] and, on the other hand, to gradually impose a particular conception of religion, breaking with current diversity [13].

The Pentagon press secretary commented: “The Secretary’s prayer services undoubtedly improve the morale of those who choose to attend and are protected by the Constitution. No special treatment or punishment is given due to one’s choice of whether or not to attend these prayer services.” However, many retired officers have begun to take a stand against the ongoing reform. It is not acceptable to them that the Pentagon is under the control of a particular Church and even less of the sect of Pastor Douglas Wilson.

The “guru” of the Secretary of War is first and foremost the leader of the “biblical patriarchy”, which is why he spoke out against the participation of women in the management of his Church and affirms that the slavery of women is justified by Scripture. He is a “reconstructionist”: according to him, Christ will only return when society respects certain laws of the Old Testament including the death penalty for murder, idolatry, homosexuality, adultery, witchcraft and blasphemy.

As a “Christian nationalist”, he preaches “a fusion of Christian identity and cultural conservatism with the civic affiliation of the United States”. Finally, in the name of “Covenant theology”, he is convinced that Christ did not come to abolish the law of Moses, but to superimpose his message of love on it, which is why he considers support for State of Israel as a religious duty [14].

The poison of the political instrumentation of religion is spreading. On April 12, 60 Minutes (CBS) broadcast a report in which three US cardinals support Pope Leon XIV’s statements against the war in Iran and President Trump’s anti-migratory policy. President Trump responded the next morning on Truth Social with this declaration of war: “Pope Leo XIV is weak on crime, and terrible on foreign policy. He talks about “fear” of the Trump administration, but does not mention the FEAR that the Catholic Church, and all other Christian organizations, had during COVID when priests, ministers of religion and the faithful were arrested, for holding Church services, even when they were going out, and that they were ten and even twenty feet apart [about 2.5 meters]. I like his brother Louis much better than him, because Louis is MAGA. He understands it, and Léon doesn’t! I don’t want a pope who thinks it’s OK for Iran to have a nuclear weapon. I don’t want a pope who thinks it’s terrible that America attacked Venezuela, a country that was sending massive amounts of drugs to the United States and, worse, emptying its prisons, including murderers, drug traffickers and killers, in our country. And I don’t want a pope to criticize the President of the United States because I’m doing exactly what I was elected to do.

“FACED WITH COLLAPSE, I set record numbers against crime and creating the largest stock market in history. Leon should be grateful because, as everyone knows, his election was surprising and shocking. He was not on any list to be pope, and was only put there by the Church because he was American, and they thought that would be the best way to deal with President Donald J Trump. If I wasn’t in the White House, Leon wouldn’t be in the Vatican. Unfortunately, Leon is weak with crime, weak with nuclear weapons, does not side with me, nor does the fact that he meets Obama sympathizers, like David Axelrod, a left-wing LOSER, who is the one of those who wanted time masters and clerics arrested. Leo should behave like a pope, use common sense, stop responding to the radical left and focus on being a great pope.” [15].

He also publishes a computer-generated image produced by Nick Adams, president of the Foundation for Liberty and American Greatness. We see it in Jesus healing a sick person, under the amazed eyes of his faithful and the protection of his soldiers and his angels. It was Orthodox Passover.

On April 15, the third religious service of the new system was broadcast on YouTube. The Secretary of War alluded to the heroic rescue operation of a pilot shot down in Iran. In reality, it was an operation aimed at seizing stocks of enriched uranium. The pilot was not saved. He is still a prisoner of the Revolutionary Guards. Never mind. Hegseth cited a prayer from the Sandy 1 team of the combat search and rescue unit. He said, referring to the Book of Ezekiel:

“The path of the righteous man is assailed on every side by the injustices of the selfish and the tyranny of evil men. Blessed is he who, in the name of charity and good will, guides the weak through the valley of darkness, for he is truly his brother’s keeper and the one who finds lost children. And I will fall on you with great vengeance and furious anger on those who try to poison and destroy my brothers. And you will know that my name is the Lord when I unleash my vengeance on you.” Alas! the quote does not refer to the Bible, but to the script of the film Pulp Fiction.

Then the Secretary of War gave the floor to Pastor Zack Randles, who preaches every year in the House of Representatives. [16] A few hours later, Leo XIV published on X: “Woe to those who manipulate religions and the very name of God for their own military, economic and political ends, dragging what is sacred into darkness and filth!” [17]

Ultimately, the Americans United for Separation of Church and State filed a complaint against the Department of Defense. [18]. According to the association for the defense of religious plurality, what is happening at the War Department is spreading: identical prayers are being reported to the Labor Department with Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer.

The “Kulturkampf” has just begun. The “fight for civilization” was a policy of Chancellor Otto von Bismarck to sever ties between the German Empire and the Catholic Church. This time, it is a break between the United States and the Holy See, while, due to Mexican immigration, the country’s population is now 40% Catholic [19]. It is also a backlash after Pope Francis’ support for Democratic President Joe Biden [20].

(To be continued...)

Notes

[1] Allusion to the abduction of President Nicolás Maduro by the United States three days earlier.

[2] Encyclical letter Populorum progressio, Paul VI, March 26, 1967.

[3] “Address of the pope Leo XIV to members of the diplomatic corps accredited to the Holy See”, Holy See, 9 January 2026.

[4] «Secretary of War Pete Hegseth Addresses General and Flag Officers at Quantico, Virginia», Department of War, September 30, 2025.

[5] The Family: The Secret Fundamentalism at the Heart of American Power, Jeff Sharlet, HarperCollins (2008). «The Christian Mafia», Wayne Madsen, Insider Magazine

[6] Billy Graham, pape protestant ?, Sébastien Fath, Albin Michel (2002).

[7] The Strategy of Denial: american defense in an age of great power conflict, Elbridge Colby, Yale University Press (2021).

[8] «Why the Vatican and the White House Are on the Outs», Mattia Ferraresi, The Free Press, April 6 2026.

[9] «Hegseth invited Christian nationalist Doug Wilson to preach at Pentagon», Amy B Wang, The Washington Post, February 18, 2026.

[10] «Invoking faith in wartime, Pete Hegseth breaks norms and worries critics», Michelle Boorstein, Washington Post, March 29, 2026.

[11] «Hegseth Announces Reforms to Chaplain Corps», Matthew Olay, Pentagon News, March 25, 2026.

[12] «At Pentagon Christian service, Hegseth prays for violence ‘against those who deserve no mercy’», Tiffany Stanley, The Washington Post, March 25, 2026.

[13] «Why Pete Hegseth’s Pentagon prayer services challenge traditional notions of separation of church and state – but might be blessed by the Roberts Supreme Court», Naomi Schalit & John E. Jones III, The Conversation, April 15, 2026.

[14] Is Christianity good for the world?, dialogue entre Christopher Hitchens & Douglas Wilson, Canon Press (2008).

[15] «@realDonaldTrump», Truth Social, April 13, 2026.

[16] «Guest Chaplains», House of Représentatives.

[17] “@Pontifex_it”, X, April 16, 2026.

[18] Américains United for Separation of Church and State v. US, Civil Action No. 1:26-CV-983, District Court of Columbia, March 23, 2026.

[19] « La confrontation inquiétante de Trump avec le pape Léon XIV », par Alfredo Jalife-Rahme, Traduction Maria Poumier, La Jornada (Mexique), Réseau Voltaire, 16 avril 2026.

[20] “Biden, commander of the “true believers”“, by Thierry Meyssan, Translation Roger Lagassé, Voltaire Network, 16 February 2021.

Courtesy Thierry Meyssan; Translation Jean-Sébastien La Tour

https://www.voltairenet.org/article224466.html