GOP V. The Holy See
Senior Trump administration officials escalated criticism of the Vatican on Tuesday, with Vice President Vance warning Pope Leo XIV to “be careful” when speaking about theology and White House Border Czar Tom Homan telling him to “leave politics alone.”
Vance, a Catholic, issued the warning while addressing the pope’s opposition to the conflict with Iran and his recent comment that Jesus’s followers are “never on the side of those who once wielded the sword and today drop bombs” during a Turning Point USA event in Athens, Ga.
The vice president said that he liked that the pontiff was an “advocate for peace,” but he should be more cautious when invoking “matters of theology.”
“I think one of the issues here is that if you’re going to opine on matters of theology, you’ve got to be careful. 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 the clergy, whether they’re Catholic or Protestant,” he told the crowd.
Sophie Brams, ‘The Hill’
The Pope has decided to not remain silent during this Administration’s attempts to overhaul the American immigration system. Pope Leo views many of the actions taken to be counter to his interpretation of the Bile and thus is being roundly condemned in the inner circle of the White House. The thorny issue comes when the GOP needs Catholic votes to remain in office and a holy battle is playing out on either side of the Atlantic.
