Jesuit Priest James Martin slams JD Vance for defending Trump's remarks on Pope

Following widespread criticism of President Donald Trump's attack on Pope Leo XIV, Vice President J.D. Vance, the highest-ranking Catholic in the federal government, has come out in defense of his superior. In an interview on Fox News' 'Special Report' on Monday, Vance said the Pope should stay out of American affairs and stick to only "matters of morality." The comment drew sharp criticism from American Jesuit priest Father James Martin, who corrected Vance by explaining that the Pope was, in fact, speaking on matters of morality, which includes the ongoing war in Iran.

President Trump on Sunday assailed Pope Leo in a lengthy Truth Social post, calling him "weak on crime" and "terrible for foreign policy." Hours later, he posted an AI-generated image that depicted himself as a Christ-like figure. While the post was deleted, Trump defended it, telling reporters that it was supposed to show him as a doctor and people misinterpreted it. However, his remarks on the Pope and the image drew swift criticism from across the political spectrum. Vance, an outspoken Catholic, meanwhile, defended Trump.

When asked if he agreed with Trump's remarks on the Pope, Vance told host Bret Baier that he didn't think the matter was newsworthy but he certainly thinks "that in some cases it would be best for the Vatican to stick to matters of morality, to stick to matters of what's going on in the Catholic Church. He further added that the Pope should "let the President of the United States stick to dictating American public policy." Before the comments, Vance also dismissed the AI-generated image, calling it a joke from the President and another thing that wasn't newsworthy. 

The comments drew sharp criticism from Father Martin, who took to X to explain how the Pope was doing exactly what Vance asked him to stick to. "'In some cases, it would be better for the Vatican to stick to matters of morality.' In other words, exactly what Pope Leo is doing: speaking out on matters of morality, like war and peace, and care for the poor, the hungry, and the migrant," Martin wrote in the post. "These are fundamentally moral matters," he concluded. 

In the Fox interview, Vance went on to state that it's nothing new for the Pope and the President to disagree, and he doesn't worry about it too much. "I think it's a natural thing. I'm sure it will happen in the future, and it's not that big of a deal that it happened in the past," he expressed. However, in a separate interview with ABC News, Father Martin called the altercation unprecedented. "Historically, it's quite unique for a sitting President to speak in such terms, such disparaging terms, such unchristian terms, such uncharitable terms about the Pope," Martin told the host Linsey Davis. "I think Pope Leo has been very respectful to President Trump. So, it's quite unusual," he added. 

He went on to defend the Pope's comments, saying he wasn't being political but he was being religious, and a Christian. When asked about Trump's refusal to apologise to Pope Leo, Martin said people across the spectrum were quite appalled, and the President should apologise. "I mean, just the language that was used against the Pope was just really unchristian and kind of mean-spirited," he said. He noted Bishop Robert Barron, who serves on the White House Religious Liberty Commission, also urged the President to apologise, but said that his refusal to do so doesn't surprise him.