“The Pope is the head of the Catholic Church, and it is right and normal for him to call for peace and to condemn every form of war,” Meloni said in a statement.
Pope Leo lashed out against the war on Iran during a prayer service at St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican, where he called out the “delusion of omnipotence that surrounds us and is becoming increasingly unpredictable and aggressive.”
“Enough of the idolatry of self and money, enough of the display of power, enough of war! True strength is shown in serving life,” Pope Leo said. At a later point, he also urged world leaders, including Trump, involved in the war, to step back.
JD Vance accused Pope Leo of interfering in U.S public policy
Moreover, the leader of the Catholic Church also reminded Donald Trump that striking civilian infrastructure is against international law.
“Let’s remember especially the innocent children, the elderly, the sick, so many people who have already become or will become victims of this continued warfare,” Pope Leo proclaimed.
Meanwhile, Vice President JD Vance has stood firm next to Trump, defending his words and criticizing Pope Leo. Vance, who converted to Catholicism at an adult age, accused the pope of interfering in U.S public policy.
“I certainly think that in some cases, it would be best for the Vatican to stick to matters of morality,” Vance told Fox News’ Brett Baier on Monday. “To stick to matters of, you know, what’s going on in the Catholic Church and let the president of the United States stick to dictating American public policy. But when they’re in conflict, they’re in conflict.”
However, the VP didn’t stop there. On Tuesday, he attended a Turning Point USA event in Atlanta, Georgia, where he continued his attacks on Pope Öleo. he argued that the Pope, who once said Jesus “is never on the side of those who once wielded the sword and today drop bombs,” has failed to take other conflicts, such as World War II, into account.
“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,” JD Vance said, per NBC News.
JD Vance warns the pope of being too vocal on “matters of theology.”
Vance, who met with the pope in May, added that while he likes it when the Holy Father discusses abortion, immigration, or “matters of war and peace,” he doesn’t always agree. Moreover, he warned Pope Leo of being too vocal on “matters of theology.”
“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 continued.
JD Vance concluded, “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.”