There it is, in those recently released files on the Kennedy assassination.

In June of 1973, reports The New York Times, a C.I.A. employee wrote a memo at the request of William E. Colby, the agency’s director, listing various ways the C.I.A. had, “exceeded” its charter over the years.

Among other things, on page 6, it said, “Finally, and this will reflect my Middle Western Protestant upbringing, [former CIA Director John A.] McCone’s dealings with the Vatican, including Pope John XXIII and Pope Paul VI, would and could raise eyebrows in certain quarters.”

The excerpt:

It opens eyebrows here.

And questions:

How exactly was the Vatican working alongside the CIA? Was it simple sharing of information? Would not the CIA inform the Vatican if its spies picked up a threat to it in Rome, and vice versa, would not the Vatican alert the CIA to anything threatening to the U.S. it may have learned from one of its nearly 3,000 dioceses worldwide?

Maybe, then, not so surprising.

But to some, a potential major headline.

While the Vatican officially denies having its own, formal intelligence agency, it has a long history of intelligence gathering and discreet networks, and some evidence suggests it has engaged in covert operations.

The Vatican’s involvement in intelligence gathering has been documented during periods like the Cold War and World War II, with reports of undercover monsignors and priests engaging in clandestine activities. +

Some sources mention the 1913 foundation of a Vatican counterintelligence unit, Sodalitium Pianum (the fellowship of Pius) or SP, for short. +

The Vatican’s diplomatic corps, which operates in numerous countries, provides valuable intelligence to the Holy See.  “This opens a door on a whole history of collaboration between the Vatican and the C.I.A., which, boy, would be explosive if we could get documents about it,” said Peter Kornbluh, a senior analyst at the National Security Archive, an independent research center at George Washington University. “Which of course,” he added, “we will now try to do.”

It might prove interesting.

In the shadows of global diplomacy and international politics, the Vatican, a centuries-old institution–the oldest on earth–has often found itself aligned with modern spy agencies, including the CIA.

The relationship between the Vatican and intelligence agencies dates back to at least World War II, when the Church’s extensive reach across Europe proved invaluable to both Allied and Axis powers. Pope Pius XII’s Vatican engaged in delicate diplomacy, serving as a quiet intermediary while also being a source of critical intelligence.

The stakes grew during the Cold War, as the Vatican and the CIA shared a common adversary in Communism. Their clandestine cooperation aimed at thwarting Soviet influence in Europe and beyond underscores a period of intense and strategic alignment. Notably, their united front was pivotal in Eastern Europe, where the Church’s moral and social leverage helped sway political dynamics, particularly in Poland.

The global presence of the Catholic Church, with its unparalleled diplomatic network, provided the CIA with eyes and ears in places inaccessible to American spies. This exchange was not merely one of information but also of influence, shaping political landscapes under the guise of spiritual leadership. The collaboration extended to covert operations, where the Vatican and CIA jointly supported initiatives to install or bolster regimes sympathetic to Western interests. This was evident in their support for movements like Poland’s Solidarity, which played a crucial role in undermining communist rule.

With the Cold War over, the relationship between the Vatican and intelligence agencies like the CIA has transformed. Today, their collaboration is more likely to focus on combating terrorism, addressing human trafficking, and tackling cybersecurity threats—issues that align with both parties’ broader humanitarian and security interests.

Throw in the fact that there have been allegations of senior Vatican officials engaging in covert operations, using private contractors, and disregarding Vatican City’s legal boundaries.

Some sources mention a sacred secret service, founded in 1566, known as “The Holy Alliance” (later renamed “The Entity”).

In 1913 was the foundation of Vatican counterintelligence unit Sodalitium Pianum (the fellowship of Pius) or SP, for short. Also known as the “La Sapinière” or “The Fellowship of Pius,” it was a secretive organization within the Roman Catholic Church during the early 20th century. Established in 1910 by Father Umberto Benigni as an informer network, its primary aim was to combat Modernism, which Pope Pius X labeled as the “synthesis of all heresies.”