Epstein’s Jaw-Dropping Email About Pope Francis Exposed in New DOJ Files

A newly released batch of Justice Department files has uncovered a shocking and deeply offensive email Jeffrey Epstein wrote about Pope Francis during the pontiff’s 2015 visit to the United States.

The disgraced financier, who was later charged with sex trafficking minors, suggested in a crude message that the pope should be invited over for a “massage” — then added a vulgar joke referencing Jesus. The email, riddled with typos and partially masked characters, was sent on September 23, 2015, as Francis was traveling through Washington, D.C., New York, and Philadelphia.

At the time, Pope Francis was meeting with then-President Barack Obama, addressing Congress, speaking at the United Nations, and celebrating Mass at Madison Square Garden. Crowds packed city streets to catch a glimpse of the beloved religious leader.

Behind the scenes, however, Epstein was mocking the visit in an email exchange with his brother Mark Epstein. In the message, he made lewd suggestions about inviting the pope over and included a crude punchline.

The correspondence surfaced as part of millions of documents released by the DOJ examining Epstein’s connections across politics, finance, media, and global elites. The files span decades and reference figures from both sides of the political aisle.

During the New York leg of the trip, Francis stayed at a residence not far from Epstein’s Manhattan townhouse — a detail noted in the brothers’ exchange.

Observers say the email reflects Epstein’s pattern of derision toward institutions he viewed as powerful or symbolic. Christopher Hale, a former Obama staffer who now writes the Substack newsletter Letters From Leo, argued that the message went beyond tasteless humor.

“He was expressing contempt — for Francis, for the papacy, and for the moral authority the pope represented,” Hale wrote.

The documents also reveal Epstein’s long-standing fascination with Vatican history and politics. Though not Catholic, he reportedly studied church texts, papal biographies, and even posed for photos with his longtime associate Ghislaine Maxwell alongside Pope John Paul II years earlier.

Epstein’s orbit also included political strategist Steve Bannon. In a 2019 text message revealed in previous reporting, Bannon allegedly suggested they should “take down” Francis, who had drawn criticism from some conservative factions for his positions on immigration, climate change, and LGBTQ outreach.

Francis died in April 2025 at age 88. His successor, Pope Leo XIV, has since clashed with elements of the MAGA movement over immigration policy, climate change, and foreign affairs.

Meanwhile, Epstein died in a Manhattan jail cell in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges. His death was ruled a suicide. Maxwell is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence for her role in his crimes.

The newly surfaced email is just the latest unsettling glimpse into Epstein’s mindset — and the sprawling network of figures connected, in one way or another, to his shadowy world.