Vance Says Pope Leo Should Stay Out of U.S. Affairs
Reporting from Washington
Vice President JD Vance, the highest-ranking Catholic in the federal government, said in an interview on Fox News on Monday that the pope should stay out of American affairs.
Mr. Vance, a convert to Catholicism who is about to publish a book detailing his turn to the faith, brushed off a backlash among Christians across the political spectrum to President Trump’s attacks against Pope Leo XIV. He said “that in some cases it would be best for the Vatican to stick to matters of morality.” Mr. Trump has clashed with the pontiff over matters of war and immigration, and on Sunday attacked him as “weak on crime.”
“Stick to matters of, you know, what’s going on in the Catholic Church,” Mr. Vance said on Fox News’s “Special Report with Bret Baier” when asked by Mr. Baier if he agreed with Mr. Trump’s attacks against the pope. “And let the president of the United States stick to dictating American public policy.” He added: “When they are in conflict, they are in conflict. I don’t worry about it too much.”
In a recent homily, Leo said that the Christian mission had often been “distorted by a desire for domination, entirely foreign to the way of Jesus Christ.”
Mr. Vance, who has often viciously attacked critics in much the same manner as Mr. Trump, offered a diplomatic tone as he spoke of Leo. “I think it’s a good thing, actually, that the pope is advocating for the things that he cares about,” the vice president said, adding: “We’re also going to disagree on substantive questions from time to time. I think that’s a totally reasonable thing.”
The vice president’s suggestion that Leo “stick to matters of morality” is also a notable distinction. Being a Roman Catholic requires acknowledgment of and adherence to the pope’s authority over the church, but not his political views. President John F. Kennedy, defending his Catholic faith during his 1960 presidential campaign, said that he believed in an America “where no public official either requests or accepts instructions on public policy from the pope.”
The president’s social media tirade against Pope Leo on Sunday night accused him of being too liberal, “weak on crime,” and “terrible for foreign policy.” He even falsely claimed credit for the pope’s election.
Leo, speaking on Monday at the start of a trip to Africa, told reporters he had “no fear of the Trump administration.” He added that he was not afraid of “speaking out loudly about the message of the Gospel, which is what I believe I am here to do.”
Mr. Vance was also asked about the president’s posting of an A.I.-generated image that depicted him as a Jesus-like figure; the vice president said that Mr. Trump “was posting a joke.” The president, speaking at the White House, told reporters that he had deleted that post, and Mr. Vance said that was done because Mr. Trump “recognized that a lot of people weren’t understanding his humor in that case.”
Earlier, Mr. Trump, in an interview with CBS News, said that he had meant the post to portray him as a doctor.
“I viewed that as a picture of me being a doctor in fixing — you had the Red Cross right there, you had, you know, medical people surrounding me,” Mr. Trump said in that interview. “And I was like the doctor, you know, as a little fun playing the doctor and making people better. So that’s what it was viewed as. That’s what most people thought.”
Chris Cameron is a Times reporter covering Washington, focusing on breaking news and the Trump administration.
A version of this article appears in print on April 15, 2026, Section A, Page 10 of the New York edition with the headline: Pope Leo Should Avoid U.S. Affairs, Vance Says.
More on Pope Leo XIV
Easter Remarks: With war in the Middle East casting a shadow over the celebrations of the most important date on the Christian calendar, Pope Leo XIV used his first Easter address as pontiff to renew pleas for peace and dialogue, and to condemn violence.
Comments on War: In sharp contrast to the Trump administration’s calls for Christian prayers for the war effort, the pope says military domination is “entirely foreign to the way of Jesus Christ.”
A Return to Tradition: Pope Francis washed and kissed the feet of prisoners and refugees. His successor on Holy Thursday performed the rite of humility and service for priests, which is meant to recall Christ washing his apostles’ feet on the night before his crucifixion.
A (Virtual) Visit to the U.S.: Pope Leo declined an invitation from President Trump, but is set to make a virtual appearance on July 4 to celebrate the nation’s 250th anniversary.
Hours Before News of Cease-Fire, Pope Leo XIV Issues Strong Rebuke of Trump
Pope Leo XIV, the first U.S.-born pontiff, issued a rare rebuke of President Trump on Tuesday, saying it was “truly unacceptable” to threaten to wipe out Iran’s “whole civilization.”
He did not mention the president by name, but it was clear whom he was referring to.
“Today, as we all know, there has also been this threat against the entire people of Iran. And this is truly unacceptable,” the pope told reporters Tuesday evening in Italy, hours before an announcement by Mr. Trump that a two-week cease-fire had been reached. “There are certainly issues of international law here, but even more, it is a moral question concerning the good of the people as a whole, in its entirety.”
Mr. Trump had earlier threatened to destroy every bridge and power plant in Iran if Tehran did not allow commercial ships to pass safely through the Strait of Hormuz. The deliberate destruction of civilian infrastructure is forbidden under international law. Mr. Trump’s threat drew widespread condemnation from Democratic and Republican lawmakers, as well as United Nations officials and others around the world.
In his first year as pontiff, Leo has largely avoided wading directly into U.S. politics, but he has consistently called for an end to the U.S.-Israeli attacks on Iran and a return to dialogue to resolve the conflict. He has also pointedly rejected efforts by some in the Trump administration to frame the war in Christian terms.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in March called on Americans to pray for victory in battle and the safety of their troops “in the name of Jesus Christ.”
The pope soon after warned against invoking the name of Jesus for battle, saying that Jesus “does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war, but rejects them.”
In a homily during a Mass before Easter last week, Leo said that the Christian mission had been “distorted by a desire for domination, entirely foreign to the way of Jesus Christ.”
Then, on Easter Sunday, he renewed his call for peace. “On this day of celebration, let us abandon every desire for conflict, domination and power, and implore the Lord to grant his peace to a world ravaged by wars,” Leo told tens of thousands of faithful gathered in St. Peter’s Square.
Mr. Trump had imposed a Tuesday evening deadline for Iran to open the Strait of Hormuz or face devastation. Leo pressed for diplomacy. “Come back to the table. Let’s talk,” Leo said Tuesday evening. “Let’s look for solutions in a peaceful way.”
Hours later, shortly before his 8 p.m. deadline, Mr. Trump made the announcement about the cease-fire agreement. In a post on social media, Mr. Trump also claimed to be “very far along with a definitive Agreement concerning Longterm PEACE with Iran, and PEACE in the Middle East.”
Elisabetta Povoledo and Motoko Rich contributed reporting.
Ephrat Livni is a Times reporter covering breaking news around the world. She is based in Washington.
More on the Fighting in the Middle East
Global Economic Warning: War in the Middle East has upended the world economy, the International Monetary Fund said, warning in a report that disruptions to oil markets could slow growth, fuel inflation and raise the possibility of a global recession.
Strait of Hormuz: Shipowners and shipping experts said they did not expect a large number of vessels to return quickly to the strait because of concerns that the United States’ blockade plan lacked detail on how commercial vessels would be protected if they decided to go through the waterway.
Iran’s Internet Blackout: As the country’s near-total internet blackout extends into its seventh week, Iranian businesses and academics are arguing that the shutdown not only violates citizens’ rights but further destabilizes the country’s already weakened economy.
Israelis on the War: The ongoing war has left many in Israel despairing over how little they believe the fighting accomplished compared with the objectives laid out by their leaders.
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