U.S. Catholic Committee Fires Back at JD Vance’s ‘Theology’ Attack On the Pope

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A committee of American Catholics on Wednesday issued a statement in response to Vice President JD Vance’s latest attack on Pope Leo XIV.

Speaking at a Turning Point USA event at the University of Georgia on Tuesday, Vance said the Pope should “be careful when he talks about matters of theology.” The comment came as Pope Leo had repeatedly condemned the war in Iran and called for peace.

“I think that one of the issues here is that if you’re going to opine on matters of theology, you’ve got to be careful,” Vance continued, “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 clergy, whether they’re Catholic or Protestant.”

The next day, U.S. bishops’ Committee on Doctrine claimed that Pope Leo wasn’t merely trying to “opine” as Vance suggested. The statement read:

In light of recent public comments regarding the Catholic Church’s teaching on war and peace, Bishop James Massa, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Doctrine, issued the following statement:

‘For over a thousand years, the Catholic Church has taught just war theory and it is that long tradition the Holy Father carefully references in his comments on war. A constant tenet of that thousand-year tradition is a nation can only legitimately take up the sword ‘in self-defense, once all peace efforts have failed’ (Catechism of the Catholic Church, no. 2308). That is, to be a just war it must be a defense against another who actively wages war, which is what the Holy Father actually said: ‘He does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war.’

When Pope Leo XIV speaks as supreme pastor of the universal Church, he is not merely offering opinions on theology, he is preaching the Gospel and exercising his ministry as the Vicar of Christ. The consistent teaching of the Church is insistent that all people of good will must pray and work toward lasting peace while avoiding the evils and injustices that accompany all wars.

Last weekend, the simmering feud between the Pope and President Donald Trump’s White House reached a fever pitch when Trump published a scathing Truth Social post attacking the pontiff. In the post, he claimed Pope Leo was “weak on crime” and called him out for criticizing his administration.

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