Catholic J.D. Vance takes Donald Trump’s side against Pope Leon XVI, whom the president has described as “weak and incompetent in foreign policy.” In an interview with Fox News, the American vice president stated that “in some cases, it would be preferable for the Vatican to stick to moral issues, internal affairs of the Catholic Church.” “And let the president of the United States dictate American public policy,” Vance added. Finally, Vance concluded: “When I disagree, I disagree. It doesn’t bother me all that much. I think it’s natural. I’m sure it will happen again, and it’s okay that it has already happened.”
Yesterday, the American president launched a frontal attack on the Pope. “Pope Leon is lenient on crime and catastrophic in foreign policy,” Trump declared. “If I weren’t in the White House, Leon wouldn’t be at the Vatican.”
“I’m not afraid of the Trump administration, I speak of the gospel, I will continue to denounce the war loudly,” replied Leon XIV. “I have no intention of entering into a debate with him.”
In a message sent on the occasion of the plenary session of the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences, the Pope warned today: “Democracy remains healthy only when rooted in moral law and a true vision of the human person. Without this foundation, it risks becoming a majority tyranny or a mask for the domination of economic and technological elites.”
“The same principles that govern the exercise of authority within nations must also guide the international order – a truth that is particularly important to keep in mind at a time when strategic rivalries and shifting alliances are reshaping the global landscape of relationships. We must remember,” writes Leone, “that a just and stable international order cannot be based solely on a balance of power or purely technocratic logic. The concentration of technological, economic and military powers in a few hands threatens both the democratic participation of peoples and international harmony.”
In his message, Leone also emphasizes that “justice and moral strength are essential for clear decision-making and implementing decisions. Temperance is also essential for the legitimate use of authority, as true temperance restrains undue pride and serves as a barrier against abuse of power.”
