US Intelligence Escalates Vatican Espionage Operation Following Trump Criticism of Pope Leo XIV

Sources allege the CIA maintains human intelligence assets embedded within the Holy See bureaucracy, while the NSA and CIA jointly pursue signals intelligence against Vatican communications infrastructure. The reported directive emerged after Trump publicly described the newly elected Pope as "terrible on foreign policy" and "weak on crime"—language that, according to Klippenstein's sources, intelligence officials interpreted as authorization to intensify surveillance operations against the Holy See.

Klippenstein, an independent investigative journalist who previously worked at The Intercept, cited unnamed sources familiar with US intelligence operations in reporting that American espionage targeting the Vatican is not a new development. The surveillance apparatus reportedly encompasses multiple federal agencies: the CIA's clandestine human networks inside Vatican institutions, NSA technical capabilities designed to capture telecommunications and electronic communications, and FBI investigative resources directed at activities within Church operations. The scope of this coordinated campaign raises questions about longstanding US intelligence priorities toward the world's smallest sovereign state.

The timing of reported intensification coincides with Pope Leo XIV's early tenure and amid broader geopolitical pressures on the Catholic Church's diplomatic role. Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni declined to comment on intelligence matters when reached by The Cradle. US intelligence operations against foreign religious institutions remain classified, and officials have not confirmed or denied the specific allegations. The reports surface as US-Vatican relations face fresh scrutiny over theological differences, political alignments, and competing interests in regions where the Church maintains diplomatic presence.