A prominent Catholic priest called out Vice President JD Vance's criticism of Pope Leo XIV's understanding of theology.
Father James Martin, who has frequently corrected the vice president's statements about the Catholic faith to which he recently converted, was astonished that Vance had warned the U.S.-born pontiff to "be careful" with his theological statements against President Donald Trump and his administration.
"Yes, he really said that," Martin posted on X.
"Yesterday Vice President JD Vance criticized Pope Leo XIV for not knowing enough theology: 'I think it's very, very important for the pope to be careful when he talks about matters of theology ... 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,' he said, at a Turning Point conference."
Vance converted to Catholicism in 2019 at age 35, after a nondenominational upbringing, and he was baptized and confirmed at St. Gertrude Priory in his adopted hometown of Cincinnati, Ohio, so the Jesuit priest provided a bit of a theological history lesson.
"One of the many, many, ironies about that statement is that it came in response to Pope Leo's comments about war and peace and, specifically, the concept of 'just war,' which originated with St. Augustine," Martin explained. "As many have already noted, when the Vice President was making his comments, Pope Leo XIV, a member of the Augustinian Order, and twice Prior General of the Augustinians before his election as Pope, was visiting the hometown of St. Augustine, then called 'Hippo,' now in Annaba, a town in modern-day Algeria."
"For good measure, Pope Leo XIV, the man critiqued for insufficient theological education, earned not only a master's degree in divinity, but also licentiate and a doctorate in canon law from the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome," Martin continued. "JD Vance's recent conversion to Catholicism is beside the point, because many converts are of course not only highly intelligent (and learned in theology) but faithful and energetic Catholics."
"We rejoice over everyone entering the church," the Jesuit priest added. "What most of us do not rejoice over, however, is a deadly combination of inaccuracy and hubris."
To make his point clear, he showed exactly where the vice president was mistaken about his understanding of church matters.
"Pace, Vice President Vance, but the current war in Iran is not a just war under Catholic doctrine," Martin said. "You can hear that from church leaders from across the theological spectrum, from Archbishop Timothy Broglio, the head of the military vicariate and former head of the @USCCB, to Cardinal Robert McElroy, Archbishop of Washington who holds doctorates in both theology and political science. You can look all that up online."
"Suffice to say, the Vice President doesn't seem to understand the tenets of just war," the priest continued. "Nor does he seem to understand the fundamental position of the church, which is for peace. 'War is always a defeat for humanity,' as St. John Paul II said. If that authority isn't enough, then turn to Jesus who said, 'Blessed are the peacemakers,' not 'Blessed are the warmongers.' And after the Resurrection, the Risen Christ says to the frightened disciples not 'Vengeance is mine' but 'Peace be with you.'"
"Incidentally, the day before, the Vice President said that the Pope (and the Vatican) should stick to teaching about morality, also seeming to forget that war and peace are profoundly moral issues," Martin posted. "For his part, Pope Leo was focused yesterday on his spiritual father, St. Augustine. After what seemed like an emotional visit to Hippo, he celebrated Mass at the Basilica of St. Augustine in Annaba. During his homily he said, 'The primary task of pastors as ministers of the Gospel is therefore to bear witness to God before the world with one heart and one soul, not permitting our concerns to lead us astray through fear, nor trends to undermine us through compromise.'"
"Amen. Let's all continue to pray for the Holy Father as he works for peace," Martin concluded.
Yes, he really said that.
Yesterday Vice President JD Vance criticized Pope Leo XIV for not knowing enough theology: "I think it's very, very important for the pope to be careful when he talks about matters of theology ... If you’re going to opine on matters of theology,… pic.twitter.com/8VWP1WpXQ4
— James Martin, SJ (@JamesMartinSJ) April 15, 2026