Newly released correspondence from the so-called Epstein files has cast fresh light on Jeffrey Epstein's deep interest in the Vatican's financial apparatus during one of the most tumultuous periods in modern Church history: the 2012-13 upheaval surrounding the Vatican Bank and the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI.

The release of Epstein documents shows that Epstein not only wanted to know about the inner workings of the Vatican, especially its bank, also known as the Institute for the Works of Religion (IOR), but also communicated with activist Steve Bannon to "take down" Pope Francis.

Among the key exchanges, the documents show a Feb. 21, 2013, email sent to former U.S. Treasury Secretary Larry Summers.

In it, Epstein forwarded — largely verbatim — an analysis originally written by journalist Edward Jay Epstein under the subject line: "What's Behind The Pope's Resignation?"

"The most important change in the Vatican may not be the sudden withdrawal of Pope Benedict XVI," the email read, "but the change in leadership at the 'Institute for the Works of Religion,' the Vatican Bank."

The message emphasized that because the Vatican is a sovereign state, it is "exempt from transparency rules not only from Italy but from the European Union," a status that allegedly allowed "elite clients to evade any scrutiny in their money transfers."

The email described the 2012 removal of Ettore Gotti Tedeschi, then president of the Institute for the Works of Religion, amid an Italian investigation into an alleged bribery scheme.

It recounted that 47 dossiers concerning Tedeschi's "internal enemies" were found during a search of his home and claimed that intercepted calls revealed he feared he could be murdered because he "knew the Vatican's secrets."

It concluded by noting that German lawyer Ernst von Freyberg was appointed to lead the bank shortly before Benedict's historic resignation.

Summers, then president of Harvard University, received the message without any indication in the released documents that he endorsed or acted on its claims.

The email's contents, however, underscore Epstein's sustained interest in the opaque world of Vatican finance — and his willingness to consult top-tier policymakers about it.

Financial intrigue at the Vatican was hardly new.

The IOR has long been dogged by controversy, most notably the 1982 collapse of Banco Ambrosiano and the death of its chairman, Roberto Calvi — dubbed "God's Banker" — who was found hanging beneath London's Blackfriars Bridge.

For decades, critics described the IOR as insulated from international banking oversight, fueling suspicions about its use by politically exposed or well-connected clients.

For a financier like Epstein, who cultivated an image as an international money manager with a global network of elite contacts, the Vatican Bank's unique legal status may have been especially intriguing.

The Holy See's sovereignty placed it outside many European Union regulatory frameworks, at least during the period in question.

In the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, global anti-money laundering standards tightened dramatically, and the Vatican began a slow process of reform.

But in 2012 and early 2013, the IOR was still widely perceived as secretive and resistant to outside scrutiny.

Other emails in the trove show Epstein referencing the internal turmoil of the Vatican during the "Vatileaks" scandal, when confidential documents were leaked from within the Curia, exposing power struggles and allegations of corruption.

The timing of Tedeschi's removal and von Freyberg's appointment, Epstein suggested, was more consequential than Benedict's resignation itself — a theory that circulated widely in financial and media circles at the time.

In the years since, the Vatican Bank has undertaken substantial reforms.

Under current leadership, the IOR has adopted international transparency standards, published annual reports, and cooperated with financial investigations.

By 2024-26, it had achieved "white list" status in key evaluations and played a whistleblower role in exposing internal financial misconduct, signaling a marked departure from its scandal-scarred past.

The Epstein files also contain references to discussions between Epstein and former White House strategist Steve Bannon in 2019 concerning opposition to Pope Francis.

Newly released documents indicate that Bannon explored using information related to Vatican affairs as part of broader efforts to challenge Francis' leadership.

Investigators reviewing the documents said Epstein’s interest in the Vatican was perplexing, especially since he was Jewish.

While the precise contours of those discussions remain unclear, Epstein's earlier fascination with Vatican financial structures raises questions about whether he viewed the bank's history and internal conflicts as useful information for himself and his network.

Epstein's own financial history — marked by extraordinary wealth, opaque client relationships, and a sprawling network of global connections — makes his interest in the IOR's secrecy unsurprising.

The Vatican Bank, by virtue of its sovereign shield and religious mission, has long occupied a gray zone between spiritual stewardship and high finance.

For an international financier accustomed to navigating complex jurisdictions and discreet transactions, the IOR represented a rare blend of moral authority and monetary mystery.

His correspondence with Summers shows a preoccupation with the intersection of money, sovereignty, and secrecy at a moment when the Catholic Church faced internal crisis.