Vice President JD Vance – a Catholic convert – has already deposed the President Donald Trumpto quarrel Pope Leo XIVsuggesting that a religious leader should “stick to moral issues.”
“When it comes to disagreements with the Vatican, we’re going to have disagreements from time to time,” Vance, 41, told Fox News on Monday, April 13. “I think it’s a really good thing that the Pope stands up for the things he cares about. But we’re always going to disagree on public issues.”
The Vice President continued, “The Pope has been criticizing our immigration policy but in the end the immigration policy in the United States has been set by Donald Trump. The Pope will have disagreements on other issues. We certainly respect the Pope, we certainly have a good relationship with the Vatican.”
Vice President Vance said it is “absolutely reasonable” for the Vatican and the White House to disagree on “important” issues, although he also suggested it would be better if Pope Leo, 70, stayed out of US foreign policy.
“[President Trump] should look after the interests of the United States of America.” “That inevitably means that when the Vatican comments on matters of public policy, sometimes there is agreement and sometimes there is disagreement. … I certainly think that, in some cases, it would be better for the Vatican to stick to the moral issues, to stick to the issues of what is happening in the Catholic Church. Let the President of the United States stick to determining public policy. “
He added, “When they clash, they clash. I don’t worry too much about it … I think it’s a natural thing. I’m sure it will happen in the future.”
Us Weekly has contacted the Vatican for comment.
Vance converted to Catholicism at the age of 35 in August 2019 after growing up in an evangelical family.
Earlier this month, Pope Leo XIV came out against the US war in Iran during his Easter homily on April 5, calling the military conflict an “illusion of omnipotence” and a “speech of death.”
President Trump fired on Truth Social on Sunday, April 12, calling Pope Leo XIV “weak on crime and bad on foreign policy.” He also said that the only reason why Leo was elected Pope in March 2025 was that the Vatican wanted a better relationship with the White House by choosing an American.
“[The Pope] it talks about the ‘fear’ of the Trump Administration, but it doesn’t talk about the FEAR of the Catholic Church, and all other Christian organizations, that they had during the time of COVID when they arrested priests, ministers and everyone, by holding Church services, even going outside, and being ten to twenty meters apart, “said Trump, 79, complained on Sunday.
Pope Leo XIV in Monaco in March 2026.
Stephane Cardinale/PLS Monaco Pool/Getty ImagesHis speech on social media continued, “I don’t want a Pope who criticizes the President of the United States because I did what I was elected to do, IN A LANDSLIDE, to set a Record Low Crime Numbers, and to make the Greatest Stock Market in history.”
Pope Leo responded on Monday, telling reporters that he “is not afraid of Trump’s administration or speaking too much about the Gospel message.”
That same day, President Trump stood by his criticism of the religious leader during a press conference at the White House.
“[The Pope] it was the exact opposite of what I do about Iran, and you can’t have a nuclear Iran. Pope Leo would not be happy with the result,” Trump told the assembled media. [going to apologize].”
Meanwhile, President Trump faced further religious backlash by posting a picture of an AI posing as Jesus Christ on Sunday. This position was later removed from Truth Social when it drew the ire of political allies and opponents.
Trump tried to downplay the controversy on Monday, telling the White House newspaper that he thought the AI image showed him “as a doctor and related to him. [the] The Red Cross.”
