Vance said Pope Leo was wrong to criticize those who wield swords because without the U.S. military, Europe would never have been liberated during World War II.
Vance advises Pope Leo to be ‘careful’ when talking about theology
Vice President J.D. Vance shared his thoughts on President Donald Trump’s feud with Pope Leo at a Turning Point USA Tour event.
Vice President J.D. Vance said Catholic Church leaders should be careful when talking about theology after President Donald Trump clashed with Pope Leo XIV over the Iran war.
Vance, who converted to Catholicism and describes himself as deeply religious, told the audience at the Turning Point USA rally in Georgia on April 14 that he welcomed the Pope’s comments on immigration and abortion.
But Vance said the pope was wrong to say politicians should never wield a sword because doing so would be opposing the U.S. liberation of France during World War II and the Holocaust concentration camps.
“I think it’s very important for the pope to be careful when he speaks about theological issues,” Vance said.
Pope Leo said in a social media post on April 10 that disciples of Christ “will never stand by those who once wielded swords and today drop bombs.”
Vance said the pope should be as careful when speaking about theology as the vice president is when speaking about public policy.
“I like that the pope is a champion of peace. I think that’s certainly one of his roles,” Vance said. “On the other hand, how can you say that God is never on the side of the sword wielder?”
“When the Pope says that God is never on the side of those who wield the sword, there is a tradition of just war theory that goes back more than 1,000 years,” Vance continued. “Of course, there can be disagreements about whether this or that conflict is just.”
“If you’re going to give an opinion on a theological issue, you have to be careful and you have to make sure it’s based on truth. That’s one of the things I try to do, and that’s definitely what I expect from clergy,” Vance added.
In early 2025, Pope Francis wrote an open letter to Catholic bishops in the United States calling President Trump’s immigration policies “disgraceful” and urging them not to discriminate against or cause unnecessary suffering to immigrants.
Vance’s comments came after several days of conflict between the president and the first American-born pope.
In response to President Trump’s threats against Iran on Easter Sunday, April 5, Pope Leo told reporters on April 7, “There is such a threat against the entire Iranian people, and this is truly unacceptable.”
Leo praised the ceasefire that President Trump announced later that week. But over the weekend, as peace talks failed in Pakistan, Pope Leo told a prayer service: “Enough of the idolatry of self and money! Enough of the show of power! Enough of war! True strength is shown in the service of life.”
President Trump criticized the Pope on social media on April 12th.
President Trump said, “Pope Leo is weak on crime, but terrible on foreign policy.” “I don’t want a pope who criticizes the president of the United States, because that’s exactly what I was elected to do in a landslide…If I wasn’t in the White House, Leo wouldn’t be in the Vatican.”
President Trump also posted an image that appeared to show a Jesus-like figure healing a sick person, but deleted it after widespread criticism. President Trump told reporters on April 13 that the AI-generated photo was intended to portray him as a doctor and that he did not owe the Pope an apology.
“No, I won’t, because Pope Leo said the wrong thing,” Trump said. “He was very opposed to what I was doing regarding Iran. There can be no nuclear Iran.”
