Graham concluded by referencing the public back-and-forth taking place between the Trump administration and Pope Leo, the latter of whom has criticized the war in Iran and Trump’s statements about the war.
Trump has fired back, criticizing the pope. Even Vice President J.D. Vance, who is Catholic, has pushed back on the top leader of his own church, encouraging the pope to stay in his lane.
Vance took issue with Pope Leo’s April 10 X post, in which the pope said, “God does not bless any conflict. Anyone who is a disciple of Christ, the Prince of Peace, is never on the side of those who once wielded the sword and today drop bombs.”
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Responding to that statement, Vance said there is “more than a thousand-year tradition of just war theory.”
“In the same way that it’s important for the vice president of the United States to be careful when I talk about matters of public policy,” said Vance, “I think it’s very, very important for the pope to be careful when he talks about matters of theology.”
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) issued a statement April 15 “in light of recent public comments regarding the Catholic Church’s teaching on war and peace.”
After explaining the Catholic church’s support for the idea of just war and what that belief actually entails, the USCCB said, “When Pope Leo XIV speaks as supreme pastor of the universal Church, he is not merely offering opinions on theology, he is preaching the Gospel and exercising his ministry as the Vicar of Christ.”
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“I’m not a Catholic, I’m an evangelical, but I appreciate how President Trump has defended religious freedom for people of all faiths, including millions of evangelicals and Catholics in the U.S. and around the world,” Graham said. “He is the most pro-Christian, pro-life president in my lifetime, and he doesn’t shy away from it.”
“I would hope that the President and Pope Leo can meet at some point,” Graham said as he concluded his statement, “and that the Pope would have the opportunity to thank the President for his efforts to protect religious liberty for Catholics and people of all faiths.”
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