Vance urges pope to stay out of politics

U.S. Vice President J. D. Vance. Photo: Fox News video screenshot

U.S. Vice President J. D. Vance, commenting to Fox News on disagreements between U.S. President Donald Trump and Pope Leo XIV, said it would be preferable for the Vatican not to interfere in matters of state policy.

Vance noted that he considers differences between the United States and the Vatican to be normal, but emphasized that political decisions should remain the responsibility of elected authorities.

“In some cases it would be best for the Vatican to stick to matters of morality, to stick to matters of what is going on in the Catholic Church, an let the President of the United States stick to dictating American public policy,” he said.

At the same time, Vance added that the pope has the right to express his views, including on issues he considers important, though such statements may lead to disagreements with the official U.S. course.

According to the vice president, such differences are “natural” and do not pose a serious problem for relations between Washington and the Vatican.

As the UOJ previously reported, Donald Trump had earlier sharply criticized Pope Leo XIV, calling him weak and suggesting that his election was influenced by the political situation in the United States. In response, the pontiff said he is not afraid of the administration of President Trump and intends to continue speaking out openly against wars and violence worldwide.

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