adminThe Justice Department’s recent tranche of Jeffrey Epstein files has pulled back another curtain on how the elite move in the shadows, revealing an obsessive interest the convicted sex offender had in the Vatican and its inner workings. Those documents, part of a sprawling release that the DOJ has only partially made public, show Epstein studying Vatican finances, art, and politics — a bizarre fixation for a man exposed for crimes against the powerless.
Among the most striking details are text messages and emails tying Epstein into conversations with political operatives about the Vatican, including exchanges with Steve Bannon that discuss weaponizing media projects to “take down” Pope Francis. The idea that a convicted sex offender was being courted as some kind of political producer should set off alarms in any country that values decency and the rule of law.
The files also include lewd, grotesque messages from Epstein during Pope Francis’s 2015 U.S. visit — messages that aren’t just tasteless but reveal contempt for institutions that millions rely on for moral guidance. These are not academic curiosities; they show the character of a man who trafficked in human misery while rubbing elbows with the powerful.
Beyond the crude jokes, Epstein’s correspondence displays a deeper, almost conspiratorial curiosity about Vatican finances and rare artworks, including specific references to pieces held in the Vatican Museums and to financial scandals that have long shadowed the Holy See. There are even unverified claims in the documents about associates with Vatican passports — the sort of detail that ought to prompt a full accounting, not partisan leak-and-spin.
Americans should also be watching how the document release itself is being handled: the DOJ’s review has ballooned into millions of pages and has been criticized for delays and selective redactions, feeding a narrative that transparency can be weaponized or withheld depending on who’s in power. If we truly care about justice for Epstein’s victims and accountability for the influential people who enabled him, we should demand an honest, searchable release — not a politically curated drip feed.
This isn’t about settling scores between left and right; it’s about defending ordinary citizens against a corrupting elite that believes its access buys immunity. Conservatives must insist on full transparency, prosecution where the evidence supports it, and an end to the culture that lets predators cozy up to power. The Epstein files should be a wake-up call: patriotism means protecting the vulnerable and refusing to let the powerful write their own rules.
