Vance says he won’t play ‘politicization of the pope game’ over whether Leo XIV is conservative or liberal

Vice President JD Vance refused to speech authorities astir the recently elected pope connected Friday, calling his predetermination a "great thing."

"So galore radical my full beingness person said you’re ne'er going to person an American pope," Vance told blimpish vigor big Hugh Hewitt aft being asked for his absorption to his election. "Obviously, present we do, truthful I deliberation that’s a large thing." 

Vance added that "We don’t cognize a full batch astir him, but I conscionable privation him the best, right? I’m a Catholic. He’s present the caput of the Catholic Church, and we’ll commune for his wisdom, for his bully decisions, and his bully health, and anticipation that helium has a agelong and palmy papacy."

The vice president told Hewitt that thing similar the predetermination of a caller pope tin often go "discolored" by politics. 

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JD Vance refused to speech authorities astir the recently elected pope connected Friday, calling his predetermination a "great thing." (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images; Alberto PizzoliAFP via Getty Images)

"People are asking is helium a blimpish oregon is helium a liberal," Vance continued. "Will helium onslaught President Trump and J.D. Vance connected definite things, and hasn’t attacked Democrats connected different things."

He said his thoughts connected that were that it’s hard to "fit a 2,000-year-old instauration into the authorities of 2025 America."

Vance added that arsenic a Catholic convert, helium tries "not to play the politicization of the Pope game. I’m definite he’s going to accidental a batch of things that I love. I’m definite he’ll accidental immoderate things that I disagree with, but I’ll proceed to commune for him and the Church contempt it each and done it all, and that’ll beryllium the mode that I grip it."

Vance’s remarks came aft quality dispersed of an X relationship linked to Cardinal Robert Prevost, present Pope Leo XIV, that reposted articles earlier this twelvemonth criticizing the Trump medication connected its deportation push. 

He besides agreed with Hewitt that it was "disappointing" that reporters asked cardinals successful a property league astir Leo’s predetermination astir Trump. 

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Vance met with the precocious Pope Francis past month.  (Vatican Media via AP, HO)

"The Church is truthful overmuch bigger than politics," helium said, adding that astir of the millions of Catholics successful the U.S. aren’t disquieted astir whether the pope is wide oregon conservative. 

He continued, "There are a batch of views the Catholic enactment holds that are, you know, you mightiness see connected the close broadside of the spectrum. There are a batch of views they’re going to clasp that mightiness beryllium much traditionally connected the near broadside of the spectrum. And past determination are a batch of views that don’t representation easy onto authorities astatine all."

Vance said that though the religion touches connected nationalist argumentation from clip to time, "that’s not truly what it’s about."

"I deliberation it would beryllium amended for each of america if we allowed the Church to beryllium astir the redeeming of souls and didn’t effort to acceptable it into a pre-ordained governmental box," helium concluded.

Pope Leo XIV was elected to win Pope Francis connected Thursday aft the former’s decease past month aft a wellness battle. 

President Trump rapidly congratulated Leo connected his enactment connected Thursday. 

The recently elected Pontiff, Pope Leo XIV is seen for the archetypal clip from the Vatican balcony connected May 8.  (Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)

"It is specified an grant to recognize that helium is the archetypal American Pope," helium wrote successful Truth Social Post. "What excitement, and what a Great Honor for our Country. I look guardant to gathering Pope Leo XIV. It volition beryllium a precise meaningful moment!"

However, different conservatives similar Steve Bannon, the erstwhile White House main strategist successful Trump's archetypal medication and a Catholic, called Leo the "worst prime ever." 

Pro-Trump blimpish commentator Joey Mannarino took to X to complaint that "the caller Pope has precocious attacked JD Vance, shown solidarity with Kilmar Abrego-Garcia and begged Trump to unfastened the borders similar Biden had them. This feline is worse than Francis."

Conservative vigor big Charlie Kirk said successful a video connected X, "Let’s conscionable say, not truthful large tweets astir having immoderate willingness for unfastened borders. We’ll spot benignant of however helium is connected that. Also immoderate George Floyd worldly that I’m not excessively brainsick about."

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Kirk added that "overall, it seems similar he’s a pro-life warrior. There’s a batch yet to larn astir this pope, but I anticipation that helium volition beryllium a beardown advocator for beardown borders. And for sovereignty."