Vance Warns The Pope Should 'be Careful' When Talking About Theology

Vice President JD Vance said Tuesday that Pope Leo XIV should “be careful” erstwhile he talks astir theology, rebuking nan pontiff complete his criticisms of U.S. overseas policy.

Vance based on that nan pope, who has said Jesus “is ne'er connected nan broadside of those who erstwhile wielded nan beard and coming driblet bombs,” was failing to return into relationship conflicts specified arsenic World War II.

“Was God connected nan broadside of nan Americans who liberated France from nan Nazis? Was God connected nan broadside of nan Americans who liberated Holocaust camps and liberated those, those guiltless people, you know, those who had survived nan Holocaust? I surely deliberation nan reply is yes,” he said astatine a Turning Point USA arena successful Athens, Georgia.

Vance, who is Catholic and met pinch nan pope successful May, said that he likes it erstwhile nan pope weighs successful connected issues specified arsenic abortion, migration aliases “matters of warfare and peace” but that he sometimes disagrees pinch him.

Attendees astatine nan Turning Point USA arena Tuesday. Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images

“Now we can, of course, person disagreements astir whether this aliases that conflict is just, but I deliberation successful nan measurement that it’s important for nan vice president of nan United States to beryllium observant erstwhile I talk astir matters of nationalist policy, I deliberation it’s very, very important for nan pope to beryllium observant erstwhile he talks astir matters of theology,” Vance said.

“But I deliberation 1 of nan issues present is that if you’re going to opine connected matters of theology, you’ve sewage to beryllium careful. You’ve sewage to make judge it’s anchored successful nan truth, and that’s 1 of nan things that I effort to do, and it’s surely thing I would expect from nan clergy, whether they’re Catholic aliases Protestant,” he added.

The pope and President Donald Trump have exchanged barbs complete nan past respective days, pinch nan pope denouncing nan warfare successful Iran and Trump responding by saying Leo was “WEAK connected crime” and “terrible for Foreign Policy.”

Leo, asked by NBC News astir Trump’s words, said he has “no fear” of nan Trump administration. He besides vowed to support up his appeals for peace, saying they were rooted successful Gospel.

Trump’s digs astatine nan pope caused upheaval among nan Catholic organization successful America, pinch clergy defending Leo and saying Trump’s attacks were inappropriate.

They came soon earlier Trump posted an AI image depicting himself arsenic a Christ-like figure. He deleted nan station pursuing pushback from supporters and allies. The adjacent day, Trump said that he thought nan image was a reference to nan Red Cross and that it depicted him arsenic a expert treatment a patient.