United States Vice President JD Vance has cautioned Pope Leo XIV to be mindful when speaking on theological issues, criticising the pontiff’s recent comments on global conflicts and U.S. foreign policy.
Vance spoke on Tuesday at a Turning Point USA event in Athens, Georgia, where he reacted to the pope’s remarks that Jesus “is never on the side of those who once wielded the sword and today drop bombs.”
He argued that such a position does not fully reflect historical realities, citing examples from World War II.
“Was God on the side of the Americans who liberated France from the Nazis? Was God on the side of the Americans who liberated Holocaust camps and liberated those, those innocent people, you know, those who had survived the Holocaust? I certainly think the answer is yes,” he said.
Vance, a practising Catholic who met the pope in May, said he supports the involvement of religious leaders in discussions around abortion, immigration and “matters of war and peace,” but stressed that differences in opinion are inevitable.
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“Now we can, of course, have disagreements about whether this or that conflict is just, but I think in the way that it’s important for the vice president of the United States to be careful when I talk about matters of public policy, I think it’s very, very important for the pope to be careful when he talks about matters of theology,” Vance said.
“But I think one of the issues here is that if you’re going to opine on matters of theology, you’ve got to be careful. You’ve got to make sure it’s anchored in the truth, and that’s one of the things that I try to do, and it’s certainly something I would expect from the clergy, whether they’re Catholic or Protestant,” he added.
The remarks come amid growing tensions between the pope and U.S. President Donald Trump, who have exchanged criticisms in recent days.
Pope Leo had earlier condemned the Iran war, prompting Trump to describe him as “WEAK on crime” and “terrible for Foreign Policy.”
Responding in an interview with NBC News, the pope said he has “no fear” of the Trump administration and would continue to advocate for peace, maintaining that his position is rooted in the Gospel.