Newly released U.S. Department of Justice documents reveal that former White House adviser Steve Bannon discussed strategies with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein to undermine Pope Francis, CNN reported.

Axar.az reports that in messages from 2018–2019, Bannon expressed a desire to “take down” the pope, framing him as an obstacle to his nationalist-populist agenda.

Bannon also sought to adapt the book In the Closet of the Vatican into a film, potentially with Epstein as executive producer, to discredit the pontiff. The DOJ files show Epstein’s involvement in Bannon’s European political efforts and correspondence discussing Vatican affairs. However, some conservative allies, like Cardinal Raymond Burke, distanced themselves from Bannon over the project.

Experts note that Bannon’s efforts reflect an attempt to weaponize religious authority for political ends, which Pope Francis actively resisted.