The Ministry says it will revoke the lease on the 800 year-old state-owned Trisulti monastery it leased to the Institute.

The Ministry says it can revoke the lease as the DHI has violated various contractual obligations including a failure to pay concession fees and do maintenance work on the monastery.

The DHI's original stated aim was to create an apolitical Catholic study and training centre at the monastery.

Bannon, who is a former Breitbart executive and chief strategist to Donald Trump, had been planning to train political activists at the monastery.

Benjamin Harnwell, Bannon's close associate in Italy who is spearheading the project, is the director of the monastery-based academy.

He says Bannon has been raising funds for the Institute and has also launched a campaign to build a populist movement across Europe.

His project drew criticism from the left and was also denounced by a top Catholic cardinal last month.

Local media had raised doubts over whether Harnwell's institute fulfilled the requirements of its agreement with the government.

Vacca, a member of the anti-establishment 5-Star party which has been ruling Italy in a coalition with the far-right League since last year, says there are no political motives behind the decision to revoke permission for the Institute.

He says the procedure to award the concession to Harnwell's association - whose board of advisers is chaired by Cardinal Raymond Burke, a leading Vatican conservative - had been completed under the previous, center-left government.

Source

• Politico
• Reuters
• Image: artnetNews

Bannon is helping establish the institute in collaboration with conservative Catholic organization Dignitatis Humanae Institute.

Bannon, who was in Rome last weekend meeting with Benjamin Harnwell, director of the Dignitatis Humanae, confirmed the purpose was to focus on "Christendom" across Europe and invite leaders with similar priorities to attend seminars and events.

Benjamin Harnwell, director of the Dignitatis Humanae Institute, says Bannon has been helping build up the institute.

Cardinal Raymond Burke, a leading Vatican conservative, is president of the Institute's board of advisers.

Since Francis' election in 2013, Burke and other conservatives have criticised the pope.

Burke says Bannon would be playing a leading role at Dignitatis Humanae.

He says he is looking forward to working with Harnwell and Bannon "to promote a number of projects that should make a decisive contribution to the defense of what used to be called Christendom".

Bannon's increased engagement with the Institute demonstrates how his involvement in Europe extends beyond electoral politics to an effort to build a populist faction inside the Catholic Church.

He says after the 6 November Congressional elections in the United States, he will spend "80-90 percent" of his time in Europe building up his Brussels-based populist "Movement".

Bannon has visited the Institute's home at the 800-year-old Monastery of Trisulti and addressed the organisation by video link.

Harnwell says Bannon is helping to draw up the coursework for a training programme for conservative Catholic political activists and leaders.

He is also raising funds for the institute in both Europe and the United States.

Harnwell, a former European Parliament staffer, is also advising Bannon on his campaign to build a populist Movement across Europe that will support far-right parties in next year's European Parliament elections.

Source

• Reuters
• The Daily Beast
• New York Post
• Image: Washington Post