Newly released documents from the U.S. Department of Justice reveal that Steve Bannon, the former White House strategist under President Donald Trump, communicated with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein in 2019 about strategies aimed at undermining Pope Francis and weakening his influence — even writing that he would “take down” the pontiff.

According to messages shared in the leaked files, Bannon reached out to Epstein — long after Epstein’s 2008 conviction — seeking support in broader efforts aligned with his brand of nationalist-populist politics, which often clashed with Pope Francis’s advocacy on issues such as immigration, economic inequality and global cooperation. In one message from June 2019, Bannon wrote to Epstein: “Will take down (Pope) Francis… The Clintons, Xi, Francis, EU — come on brother.”

The correspondence also shows Bannon exploring the idea of adapting the controversial book In the Closet of the Vatican into a film as a tool in his strategy against the pope, and suggesting Epstein could be involved as an executive producer — although the book’s author declined to participate.

While the full context and seriousness of Bannon’s proposals remain unclear, the exchanges have sparked fresh debate about the extent of his political ambitions after leaving the Trump administration and the unusual alliance with Epstein. Vatican observers and critics say the messages suggest an attempt to leverage cultural controversies for political ends, rather than a formal plan with institutional backing.