Vance has told Pope Leo XIV to be careful when speaking about theology, criticising the pontiff over his remarks on global conflicts and U.S. foreign policy.

Vance made the remarks on Tuesday while reacting to the pope’s criticism, in which he said Jesus “is never on the side of those who once wielded the sword and today drop bombs.”

Speaking at a Turning Point USA event in Athens, Georgia, Vance argued that such views fail to reflect historical realities, including World War II.

“Was God on the side of the Americans who liberated France from the Nazis? Was God on the side of the Americans who liberated Holocaust camps and liberated those, those innocent people, you know, those who had survived the Holocaust? I certainly think the answer is yes,” he said.

Vance, a Catholic who met with the pope in May, said he supports clerical engagement on issues such as abortion, immigration, and “matters of war and peace,” but noted that disagreements remain.

“Now we can, of course, have disagreements about whether this or that conflict is just, but I think in the way that it’s important for the vice president of the United States to be careful when I talk about matters of public policy, I think it’s very, very important for the pope to be careful when he talks about matters of theology,” Vance said.

“But 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 added.

The exchange comes amid rising tensions between the pope and President Donald Trump, who have traded criticisms in recent days.

Pope Leo had denounced the Iran war, while Trump responded by describing him as “WEAK on crime” and “terrible for Foreign Policy.”

Reacting to Trump’s comments in an interview with NBC News, the pope said he has “no fear” of the Trump administration and would continue to advocate for peace, insisting his position is grounded in the Gospel. (Nigerian Tribune)