JD Vance Tells Pope Leo to ‘Be Careful’ as Trump Feud Escalates

On Monday, JD Vance made claims that Pope Leo XIV was meddling in American public policy. The very next day, during an appearance at a Turning Point USA gathering in Atlanta, Georgia, he directed further criticism at the Catholic Church’s leader, cautioning Pope Leo to exercise restraint when discussing theology.

Over the past week, Donald Trump’s aggressive remarks toward Pope Leo XIV have sparked intense global reactions. The US president labeled the head of the Catholic Church as “weak on crime” and subsequently declared that he has no intention of apologizing for his statements.

Even as MAGA loyalists have stood by Trump regarding both his remarks and an AI-generated image he shared—which depicted him as Jesus Christ—others have expressed outrage over the confrontation with Pope Leo. Among the critics is Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who condemned Trump’s statements as “unacceptable.”

“The Pope is the head of the Catholic Church, and it is right and normal for him to call for peace and to condemn every form of war,” Meloni affirmed in a released statement.

During a prayer gathering at St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican, Pope Leo strongly condemned the war on Iran, highlighting the “delusion of omnipotence that surrounds us and is becoming increasingly unpredictable and aggressive.”

“Enough of the idolatry of self and money, enough of the display of power, enough of war! True strength is shown in serving life,” declared Pope Leo. Later on, he appealed to global leaders engaged in the conflict, including Trump, to de-escalate.

JD Vance claimed Pope Leo is meddling in American public policy

Additionally, the Catholic Church’s leader issued a reminder to Donald Trump that targeting civilian infrastructure is a violation of international law.

“Let’s remember especially the innocent children, the elderly, the sick, so many people who have already become or will become victims of this continued warfare,” proclaimed Pope Leo.

In the meantime, Vice President JD Vance has remained steadfastly by Trump’s side, backing his statements and openly criticizing Pope Leo. Vance, an adult convert to Catholicism, alleged that the pontiff was overstepping into American public policy.

“I certainly think that in some cases, it would be best for the Vatican to stick to matters of morality,” Vance remarked to Fox News’ Brett Baier on Monday. “To stick to matters of, you know, what’s going on in the Catholic Church and let the president of the United States stick to dictating American public policy. But when they’re in conflict, they’re in conflict.”

The Vice President’s remarks did not end there, however. While attending a Turning Point USA function in Atlanta, Georgia, on Tuesday, he persisted in his criticism of Pope Leo. Vance contended that the Pope—who previously stated that Jesus “is never on the side of those who once wielded the sword and today drop bombs”—did not adequately consider historical conflicts like World War II.

According to NBC News, Vance argued, “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.”

JD Vance cautions the pope against being overly outspoken on “matters of theology”

Having met with the pontiff in May, Vance elaborated that although he appreciates when the Holy Father speaks on topics like abortion, immigration, or “matters of war and peace,” they do not always see eye to eye. Furthermore, he cautioned Pope Leo against being overly outspoken regarding “matters of theology.”

Vance went on to say, “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.”

Concluding his thoughts, JD Vance stated, “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.”

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