My Own Private Avignon Papacy
Jesus, Mary, and Joseph!
My tiny Recovering Irish-Catholic mind is boggled.
Today, we find out, Trump’s Pentagon thugs threatened Pope Leo— yes, the Pope— with a murderous analogy to the 14th century Avignon Papacy.
Um.
“What is The Avignon Papacy?”
Here’s the short version: in the 1300s, the Vatican’s Roman Pope was kidnapped by French King Philip, and beaten and left to die in prison while a series of “new popes” were installed by the French Monarch.
It didn’t turn out very well, but you get the drift!
Here’s the scoop that just got unearthed by The Free Press and Letters from Leo:
The Pentagon thugs threatened the Cardinal that if the Pope and the Vatican don’t endorse Trump’s imperial war plans, the United States will overthrow the Holy See and replace it with someone they like better.
The quoted the Avignon Papacy as an example where French monarchs ripped a similar violent Vatican coup . . . a few centuries ago. See? It can be done!
The 80-year-old Cardinal, Christophe Pierre, a former French Resistance fighter, sat there in total silence. Then he left.
P.S. — The Pope’s plans to visit the US are cancelled.
I realized I had to get up to speed on my European ancient history!
The Novels That Tell The History
I turned to my French-Canadian friend Violette, who told me the most entertaining way to learn this history, is to read a series of famous French novels called “The Accursed Kings,” by the late Maurice Druon.
Guess what? “Les Rois Maudits” (as it’s called in the original French), in addition to being quite accurate historical fiction, are the BASIS for The Game of Thrones. George R.R. Martin was the first to admit it. He says that the real life French royalty’s violent struggles make his books look G-rated!
“The Accursed Kings has it all," wrote Martin, in an introduction to a reissued translation. "Believe me, the Starks and the Lannisters have nothing on the Capets and Plantagenets. It is the original Game of Thrones.”
Audiobook Epic
So, where to begin? In addition to the seven-book series (George and Maurice are clearly cut from the same insane cloth) there is a superb audiobook edition. It begins with “The Iron King,” narrated by Peter Joyce. I’m listening to it right now.
Two Television Adaptations - & a Third Coming
First, take a look at the 2025 TV series of Les Rois Maudits, which the BBC issued with English Subtitles. It stars the elderly Jeanne Moreau (paging evil queen) and Gerard Depardieu, as one of the Grand Templars!
1977 TV Series
The first adaptation, the 1977 Rois Maudits series is more like “I, Claudius” — excellent, quite spare and no-frills theater stages.
I can’t find the whole series on YT with English subtitles, but this poster, below, uploaded a few episodes, which are quite mesmerizing. Just turn on the “CC” option, and you’ll see the English captions.
Since the 2026 excitement over the latest version of The Count of Monte Cristo, it turns out the same producers are going to do a lavish 21st century version of The Accursed Kings— which I bet will be dubbed in multiple languages.
No, Trump is Not a Student of French History
Many of you have noted, ‘There is no way Donald knows anything of French Papal legacy. An idiot! ”
True.
It was one of his Pentagon spokespeople (we don’t know who, yet) who made that remark.
The Pentagon crew who lectured Cardinal Christophe Pierre, are likely members of Opus Dei, like VP Vance and all the other “Catholic” extreme-right-wing cult members who populate Trump’s circles.
Opus Dei? Yeah, you’ve heard of it; actor Mel Gibson is their most famous member. They are overtly racist, misogynist, apocalyptic hawks.
Pope Leo has had it with Opus Dei’s antics and has been demoting Bishops in the US who’ve promoted their nonsense.
So— they BIG MAD.
Their attitude, as my friend Pia Hinckle pointed out, is that Trump crushed abortion rights, he “killed Roe”— thus they want the Vatican to knuckle under and pay fealty to the Trump Regime.
Transactional as usual.
JD Vance - The Last to Know
The latest snort this morning was when JD Vance was stopped on an airport tarmac to be asked about the Pentagon leaks, and was caught unawares.
Gee, that’s a first, right?
Vance said he didn’t know who Cardinal Christophe Pierre was. He doubted the imbroglio ever happened.
It’s so sad JD-Jerkoff doesn’t know what’s going on, because there is now a petition signed by thousands of Catholics, to excommunicate his ass!
Btw, Christophe Pierre is an interesting figure. Can you imagine being 80 years old and being lectured by these fascist children at the Pentagon?
I was raised ethnically Irish-Catholic, which is a THING.
As Catherine Robinson wrote:
“[Irish Catholicism] is a faith shaped by famine and occupation, pre-Christian ritual, and political martyrdom. Oh, and let’s not forget a bone-deep familiarity with death.”
It stays with you whether you leave the Church, become an atheist, or join a band of radical nuns . . . Most of which I did.
I can’t help but think of my mother and aunties today. I believe they would weep at this turn of events. I feel them. The credible message in Catholic life is devotion to peace, humility. It’s the only good thing that ever came out of it. And now, THIS.
The Pope may not have a military army but he commands moral respect among many if not most Americans who are voters.
I could imagine this Pope somehow making clear who he does NOT want to be the next president.
And here I thought this government just wanted to go back to the 19th century.