Vice President Vance Attacks Pope Leo XIV for Condemning U.S. Militarism Abroad
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Vice President JD Vance has lashed out at Pope Leo XIV for daring to criticize U.S. foreign policy, urging the pontiff to limit himself to 'morality' while ignoring the real-world consequences of American military aggression.
Vice President JD Vance has publicly attacked Pope Leo XIV's comments on U.S. foreign policy, dismissing the Pope's courageous condemnation of U.S.-Israel military actions in Iran and suggesting the pontiff should restrict himself to matters of morality. Speaking at a Turning Point USA event in Athens, Georgia—a platform notorious for its right-wing rhetoric—Vance responded to the Pope's recent remarks, in which Leo XIV denounced the 'delusion of omnipotence' fueling the ongoing conflict and called for political leaders to negotiate peace.
Vance, himself a Catholic convert, rejected the Pope's moral leadership, insisting that the Vatican should 'stick to matters of morality' and leave public policy to the U.S. president. He attempted to undermine the Pope's position by invoking historical conflicts, cynically asking whether God was on the side of Americans who liberated France from the Nazis and freed Holocaust survivors during World War II, as if past wars justify present-day violence.
The Vice President's comments come as tensions escalate between the reactionary Trump administration and the Vatican. President Donald Trump recently attacked Pope Leo XIV, labeling him 'weak on crime' and 'terrible for foreign policy' after the Pope's moving peace vigil at St. Peter's Basilica, where he called for an end to the bloodshed in Iran. In response, Pope Leo XIV bravely declared he has 'no fear' of the Trump administration and reaffirmed his commitment to advocating for peace.
This exchange has sparked debate within the Catholic community, with some clergy defending the Pope's right—and duty—to speak out against global injustice, while others, aligned with the administration, support continued militarism. The situation highlights the ongoing struggle between voices for peace and the entrenched interests of political power in the United States.