JD Vance renewed criticism of the Vatican on immigration, highlighting a growing clash with Catholic leaders and Pope Leo XIV.
Newsroom (03/07/2026 Gaudium Press ) Vice President JD Vance renewed his criticism of the Vatican’s approach to immigration during a Tuesday night appearance on Fox News’ The Ingraham Angle, arguing that some of the Church’s positions on migration are “troubling” and suggesting Catholic leaders should reconsider how they frame the political and moral dimensions of the issue.
“I do think that some of the things that have come out of the Vatican on the immigration question in particular have been troubling, and ultimately I disagree with it,” Vance told host Laura Ingraham.
The comments came during a promotional tour for Communion: Finding My Way Back to Faith, Vance’s spiritual memoir published on June 16. During the interview, the vice president said the immigration debate should not focus solely on migrants but also on American workers.
“What I would hope that the Catholic leadership has learned from some of the things that me and Marco and the president have said about immigration is, it’s not just about the dignity of the immigrant,” Vance said, referring to Secretary of State Marco Rubio. “It’s also about the dignity of the native-born factory worker who has their wages destroyed.”
The remarks represent the latest chapter in an increasingly public disagreement between Vance and senior Catholic leaders over immigration, theology, and the responsibilities of governments toward migrants.
A Dispute Rooted in Theology
The conflict intensified in January 2025, shortly after the start of the second Trump administration. Defending the administration’s mass-deportation policies, Vance invoked the concept of ordo amoris, or the ordering of love, arguing that individuals should prioritize obligations to family, neighbors, communities, and fellow citizens before extending concern to the broader world.
His interpretation drew swift criticism from Rome.
On February 3, 2025, Chicago-born Cardinal Robert Prevost shared a social media post stating, “JD Vance is wrong: Jesus doesn’t ask us to rank our love for others.”
Days later, Pope Francis publicly challenged Vance’s reasoning in a letter to American bishops, writing that Christian love is “not a concentric expansion of interests” and citing the parable of the Good Samaritan as the authentic expression of ordo amoris. According to reporting later corroborated by CNN’s Christopher Lamb, Cardinal Prevost helped draft the letter.
Vance subsequently said he was “surprised” by the criticism during remarks at the National Catholic Prayer Breakfast.
From Cardinal Critic to Pope
The disagreement gained new significance on May 8, 2025, when Cardinal Prevost was elected Pope Leo XIV.
Just 11 days later, Vance traveled to Rome for the pontiff’s inaugural Mass and met with him on May 19, delivering a letter from President Donald Trump inviting the new pope to the White House. According to the account provided, Leo placed the invitation on his desk and responded, “at some point.”
The relationship between the administration and the Vatican remained strained. In the months that followed, Pope Leo repeatedly criticized the treatment of migrants, describing administration policies as “inhuman” and arguing that migrants in the United States were being treated “in a way that is extremely disrespectful, to say the least.”
He also encouraged American bishops to issue a special message on immigration and called for deeper reflection on the treatment of detained migrants.
Public Rebuttals and Political Tensions
As the dispute expanded beyond immigration, Pope Leo criticized what he described as a “delusion of omnipotence” behind the American campaign against Iran. President Trump responded with weeks of public criticism, although the pressure campaign reportedly failed to gain widespread traction.
During the same period, Vance argued that the Vatican should “stick to matters of morality” and allow the U.S. government to determine American public policy. He also suggested the pope should “be careful” when speaking about theology, remarks that reportedly drew criticism from the U.S. bishops’ doctrine committee.
When American military action against Iran resumed in June, Pope Leo reiterated his opposition to war, declaring that no conflict is blessed by God.
Questions Over Vatican Relations
During an interview with New York Times columnist Ross Douthat in mid-June, Vance was asked whether he had recently spoken with Pope Leo. After initially pivoting to comments about his respect for the pontiff, Vance said the two had spoken and described the relationship as positive.
However, according to the account provided, Vatican officials and sources familiar with Holy See diplomacy were unable to confirm that conversation. Cardinal Michael Czerny, who headed the Vatican’s migrants and refugees office from 2022 until recently, also said he was unaware of any such exchange when asked at a public event in Rome.
Immigration Debate Intensifies
The controversy unfolded against the backdrop of ongoing immigration enforcement actions in the United States.
The article cites the case of Sister Leticia Ugboaja, a 56-year-old registered nurse and member of the Daughters of Mary Mother of Mercy, who was detained by ICE agents while traveling to Sunday Mass in McAllen, Texas. She was released after intervention by members of Congress.
According to the account, requests for comment from the vice president’s office on the incident had not received a response.
Competing Visions of Catholic Teaching
At the heart of the dispute is a fundamental disagreement over Catholic teaching on migration.
Critics of Vance point to Matthew 25, where Christ teaches that nations will be judged by their treatment of strangers, including the command: “I was a stranger and you welcomed me.”
They also cite Exsul Familia, Pope Pius XII’s 1952 document that presented the Holy Family’s flight into Egypt as a model for understanding the experience of refugees.
Vance, who entered the Catholic Church in 2019 after guidance from conservative Dominican priests, has increasingly framed immigration through the lens of economics, national obligations, and border enforcement. His critics argue that this approach minimizes longstanding Catholic teachings on migrants and refugees.
As Pope Leo prepares for a July 4 visit to Lampedusa—the Mediterranean island long associated with the migrant crisis and one of Pope Francis’ most symbolic destinations—the disagreement remains unresolved.
For now, the clash between the vice president and the Vatican reflects more than a policy dispute. It is a continuing argument over theology, national identity, and the role religious leaders should play in shaping public debates over immigration.
- Raju Hasmukh with files from The Letters from Leo
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