Is There a ‘Deep State’ Within the Vatican? by Phil Lawler

By Phil Lawler, Catholic Culture, Oct 30, 2025

Phil Lawler has been a Catholic journalist for more than 30 years. He has edited several Catholic magazines and written eight books. Founder of Catholic World News, he is the news director and lead analyst at CatholicCulture.org g. See full bio.

With the rise of Donald Trump and his supporters, Americans have become familiar with references to the “Deep State”—that class of political power-brokers who hold themselves responsible for the affairs of the nation. The doyens of this Deep State can tolerate shift in the political power balance. They are confident that if their party is voted out of office, they will be back soon enough. In any case they can work with the opposing party, since on fundamental issues their ideologies are not too far apart. But the denizens of the Deep State will vigorously resist any dramatic change in policies. They represent the strong inertial power of the status quo.

Is there a “Deep State” within the Vatican? In theory the offices of the Roman Curia exist only to carry out the wishes of the Roman Pontiff. But every bureaucracy has its own institutional interests, its tendencies toward self-preservation and self-aggrandizement. Why should the Roman Curia be any different? ….

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