Pierce wrote that we must “stipulate that there are more than a few members of the Church’s permanent bureaucracy, both within the Clan Of The Red Beanie and without, who are not happy that this gentleman got elected Pope, and who are not happy with what he’s done and said since he was.” If you are one of those people “and you’re looking to ratfuck the pope’s visit to the United States, and to his agenda in general, you’d be looking to put him in a box.”

“So, how would you do that?” Pierce asked, before answering, “I’d arrange for the pope to meet Davis, but not as an American culture war celebrity, but as a devout Christian whose faith is under vague assault.” Then, “with the pope safely back in Rome, I’d leak the news to a conservative Catholic website and wait for the inevitable explosion.”