JD Vance Praises Pope Leo XIV — But It’s Not Mutual

JD Vance may have expressed support for Pope Leo XIV after he succeeded Pope Francis, but the feeling isn’t exactly mutual.

A Historic Moment

On May 8, Cardinal Robert Prevost was officially announced as the new head of the Catholic Church, following Pope Francis’s passing last month. At 69, Prevost, now Pope Leo XIV, made history as the first American pope.

Naturally, the news thrilled U.S. leaders. President Donald Trump welcomed it warmly, even joking he might be next in line for the papacy. Vice President JD Vance also quickly offered his congratulations.

Past Criticism

Yet, does the new pope share that admiration? Not quite — especially when it comes to Vance.

In fact, Pope Leo has openly criticized Vance before. On Twitter, he reshared a National Catholic Reporter op-ed titled “JD Vance is wrong: Jesus doesn’t ask us to rank our love for others.”

This piece came after Vance’s February comments on Fox News:

“There’s a Christian concept that you love your family, then your neighbor, then your community, then your fellow citizens, and only after that, the rest of the world. A lot of the far left has completely inverted that.”

Yes, JD Vance — the pope was looking right at you.

Public Support Despite Tensions

Despite the pope’s past disapproval, Vance didn’t hesitate to show public support. He tweeted on announcement day:

“Congratulations to Leo XIV, the first American Pope, on his election! I’m sure millions of American Catholics and other Christians will pray for his successful work leading the Church. May God bless him!”

Trump Joins In

Trump also celebrated on Truth Social, writing:

“Congratulations to Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, who was just named Pope. It is such an honor to realize that he is the first American Pope. What excitement, and what a Great Honor for our Country. I look forward to meeting Pope Leo XIV. It will be a very meaningful moment!”

Lingering Critiques

Still, Trump’s praise comes despite the many critical posts Pope Leo has shared about Trump’s policies over the years.