'Be careful.' Vance issues warning to Pope Leo when discussing theology

Bart Jansen, USA TODAY Tue, April 14, 2026 at 11:44 PM UTC

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After President Donald Trump clashed with Pope Leo XIV over the war in Iran, Vice President JD Vance said the leader of the Catholic church should be careful when talking about theology.

Vance, who converted to Catholicism and calls himself deeply religious, told the audience on April 14 at a Turning Point USA rally in Georgia that he welcomed the pope commenting on immigration and abortion.

But Vance said the pontiff was wrong to say that political figures should never wield the sword because that would have opposed the U.S. liberation of France and the Holocaust concentration camps during World War II.

“I think it's very, very important for the Pope to be careful when he talks about matters of theology,” Vance said.

1 / 0See JD Vance in Pakistan for Iran peace talksPakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif shakes hands with U.S. Vice President JD Vance during their meeting, on the day delegations from the United States and Iran are to hold peace talks, in Islamabad, Pakistan, April 11, 2026.

Pope Leo had said in a social media post on April 10 that anyone who is a disciple of Christ “is never on the side of those who once wielded the sword and today drop bombs.”

Vance said the pontiff should be as careful talking about theology as the vice president is when talking about public policy.

“I like that the pope is an advocate for peace. I think that’s certainly one of his roles," Vance said. "On the other hand, how do you say that God is never on the side of those who wield the sword?”

“When the Pope says that God is never on the side of people who wield the sword, there is more than a 1,000-year tradition of just war theory,” Vance continued. “We can, of course, have disagreements about whether this or that conflict is just.”

Vice President JD Vance speaks at This is the Turning Point Tour at the University of Georgia in Athens, Georgia, on April 14, 2026.

"If you're going to opine on matters of theology, you've got to be careful, you've got to be sure it's anchored in the truth and that's one of the things that I try to do and that's certainly something I would expect from the clergy," Vance added.

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In early 2025, Pope Francis had called Trump’s immigration policy a "disgrace" and wrote an open letter to America’s Catholic bishops not to discriminate against migrants or cause unnecessary suffering.

Vance’s comments came after several days of conflict between the president and the first American-born pontiff.

After Trump threatened Iran on Easter Sunday, April 5, Pope Leo told reporters on April 7 that “there was this threat against the entire people of Iran, and this is truly unacceptable.”

Leo praised the ceasefire Trump announced later that week. But over the weekend, as peace negotiations failed in Pakistan, Pope Leo said in a prayer service, "Enough of the idolatry of self and money! Enough of the display of power! Enough of war! True strength is shown in serving life."

Trump blasted the pope on social media April 12.

"Pope Leo is WEAK on Crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy," Trump said. "I don’t want a Pope who criticizes the President of the United States because I’m doing exactly what I was elected, IN A LANDSLIDE, to do ... If I wasn’t in the White House, Leo wouldn’t be in the Vatican."

Trump also posted an image where he appeared as a Jesus-like figure healing someone who was ill, but took it down after widespread criticism. Trump told reporters on April 13 that the AI-generated picture was meant to portray him as a doctor and that he didn’t owe the pope an apology.

“No, I don't because Pope Leo said things that are wrong,” Trump said. “He was very much against what I'm doing with regard to Iran, and you cannot have a nuclear Iran.”

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