Prominent Vatican Journal Compares Ultraconservative Christians to Jihadists

The authors specifically singled out Steve Bannon as a 'supporter of an apocalyptic geopolitics.'

August 4, 2017 2:30 pm
Pope Francis arrives for the Papal consistory before the nominations of new cardinals at the Vatican on February 13, 2015. (Filippo Monteforte/Getty)
Pope Francis arrives for the Papal consistory before the nominations of new cardinals at the Vatican on February 13, 2015. (Filippo Monteforte/Getty)

Two associates close to Pope Francis say that the worldview held by conservative American Catholics and evangelical Christians, which is based on a literal interpretation of the Bible, is “not too far apart” from that of Islamic extremists, the New York Times reports.

The authors warned that conservative Catholics continue to wade to the wrong side of the United States’ treacherous and divided political waters. In the article, the authors specifically name White House chief strategist Steve Bannon as a “supporter of an apocalyptic geopolitics” that exploits fears of immigrants and Muslims, and fails to appropriately address the threat of climate change.

The article was published in the Vatican-vetted journal La Civiltà Cattolica, which the Times called “extraordinary,” as that journal reportedly has the Holy See’s seal of approval. It also has — notably — not received any reprimand from the pope, who is “not shy about disciplining dissenters.”

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