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By Jordan King
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U.S. billionaire Peter Thiel launched a closed-door lecture series on the Antichrist in Rome, drawing scrutiny from Catholic institutions and Italian lawmakers.
The invitation-only conference started on Sunday and will run until Wednesday, according to Reuters.
Why It Matters
The event places a prominent Silicon Valley investor and political donor at the center of a theological debate steps from the Vatican, prompting questions about the influence of tech leaders on religious discourse and public policy in Italy and beyond.
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The lectures arrived amid heightened attention to Thiel’s policy ties and his company Palantir’s government work, intensifying concerns in Rome about possible meetings with Italy’s leadership and the broader implications of technology firms shaping ethical boundaries.
The series has drawn criticism from Catholic figures, including Father Paolo Benanti, an artificial intelligence adviser to Pope Leo XIV, who wrote that “Thiel’s entire action can... be read as a prolonged act of heresy against the liberal consensus: a challenge to the very foundations of civil coexistence, which he now considers outdated.”
What To Know
Thiel, co-founder of PayPal and Palantir, launched an invitation-only four-lecture series with the press barred and the venue kept secret, organizers said, according to Reuters.
The Rome mirrors a four-part format he used in San Francisco, according to the Associated Press (AP).
The event was described in invitations as jointly organized by the Vincenzo Gioberti Cultural Association and the Cluny Institute at The Catholic University of America (CUA), but CUA said it was not sponsoring or hosting the Rome gathering, the AP reported.
The Angelicum, formally the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas, addressed reports suggesting it could host the lectures, stressing that the event was not organized by the university and would not take place there.
There are no meetings scheduled between Thiel and Pope Leo XIV or Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, according to official agendas, despite political interest around Thiel’s visit, Reuters reports.
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What People Are Saying
Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (Angelicum) said in a website statement: “We would like to clarify that this event is not organized by the University, will not take place at the Angelicum, and is not part of any of our institutional initiatives.”
A university spokesperson said, “The Catholic University of America is not sponsoring or hosting an event featuring Peter Thiel this month in Rome. The Cluny Project is an independent initiative incubated at the university.”
Thiel wrote in a November essay in First Things, as cited by AP: “Christians debated these prophecies for millennia. Who was the Antichrist? When would he arrive? What would he preach?”
What Happens Next
The Rome series will conclude on Wednesday, after which attention will likely shift to whether the organizers disclose participants, themes, or future iterations in Europe or the United States.
Catholic media and commentators will likely evaluate any published texts or recordings from the talks, as critical coverage has already emphasized the importance of public oversight and limits on private tech power in setting ethical norms.
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