Peter Thiel’s Secret Rome Talks Stir Church Debate

A billionaire from Silicon Valley is holding a closed‑door meeting in Rome. The event, which started on Sunday and will finish Wednesday, talks about a figure called the Antichrist. Only invited guests can attend; journalists are not allowed. The place of the talks is not known to the public. People invited come from universities, tech firms and faith groups. Thiel is famous for co‑founding a data company that works with the U. S. military. He has said he thinks religion matters for society. Last year, he ran a similar series in San Francisco. He warned that the Antichrist could appear as a leader promising to stop global threats like nuclear weapons, artificial intelligence or climate change. He fears that such a leader would create a single world government. Thiel grew up in an Evangelical family. He says his Christian upbringing shapes how he sees the world. His talks have caught the eye of the Catholic Church in Rome.The Pope’s office has spoken against some U. S. policies and warned about AI dangers. Catholic schools in Rome said they are not hosting the event. There is no planned meeting between Thiel and the Pope or the Italian Prime Minister. A Catholic priest wrote that Thiel acts like a “political theologian” in tech circles. He called the talks a long‑lasting challenge to mainstream values. The article’s headline asked if Thiel should be punished for his ideas. An Italian church newspaper criticized tech leaders who set their own rules. It said governments must keep control over digital media and stop fake news. Thiel still keeps ties with U. S. politicians, including a former Vice President who is also Catholic. He has visited Italy after other conservative figures like Musk and Bannon.