Vice President JD Vance acknowledged Pope Francis鈥� criticism of the Trump administration鈥檚 crackdown on immigration, without responding to any of its specifics or to the of Vance鈥檚 own deployment of to justify such policies.
Vance, a , spoke Friday at the National Catholic Prayer Breakfast in Washington. He sought to downplay the controversy and said he and his family pray daily for Pope Francis during the 88-year-old for pneumonia and other health troubles.
Vance told the gathering he wasn鈥檛 there to litigate 鈥渁bout who鈥檚 right and who鈥檚 wrong,鈥� though he said he would continue to defend his views. But he spoke in conciliatory terms, crediting Francis as one who 鈥渃ares about the flock of Christians under his under his leadership and the spiritual direction of the faith.鈥�
Vance, who led the gathering in a prayer for Francis鈥� health, asserted that religious leaders shouldn鈥檛 be treated as social-media influencers subject to constant debate.
Francis issued a major rebuke earlier in February to the Trump administration鈥檚 plans for mass deportations, warning that it would deprive migrants of their inherent dignity. Francis also apparently responded to Vance directly.
Vance, on social media, had defended the administration鈥檚 America-first policies by citing centuries-old teachings on 鈥渙rdo amoris,鈥� or the order of love, saying people must prioritize their families and those closest to them. Francis, in a subsequent statement, said a true understanding of that teaching is reflected in a 鈥渓ove that builds a fraternity open to all, without exception.鈥� The pope cited the biblical parable of the Good Samaritan, who took care of a wounded stranger.
On Friday, Vance didn鈥檛 address that issue specifically but called himself a 鈥渂aby Catholic鈥� and acknowledged there are 鈥渢hings about the faith that I don鈥檛 know.鈥� Vance became a Catholic in 2019.
He added: 鈥淚 try to be humble as best I can when I talk about the faith and publicly, because of course, I鈥檓 not always going to get it right.鈥�
He also acknowledged taking , without mentioning what precipitated recent criticism 鈥� his claim that the bishops were taking millions of dollars in government aid to 鈥渞esettle illegal immigrants.鈥�
In fact, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has received millions to resettle legally approved refugees, though it is now battling the Trump administration over the cut-off of such funding. One leading cardinal called Vance鈥檚 claim 鈥渟currilous.鈥�
Vance also touted the Trump administration鈥檚 鈥減rotecting the religious liberty of all people, but in particular Catholics.鈥� The administration created a focused on eradicating bias against Christians, the predominant religious group in the country.
Vance claimed Friday that the Biden administration 鈥渓iked to throw people in jail for silently praying."
Trump has said he pardoned an elderly woman put in jail 鈥渂ecause she was praying.鈥� In fact, she and co-defendants were sentenced for blockading an abortion clinic in violation of the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act.
Vance acknowledged 鈥測ou鈥檙e certainly not always going to agree with everything that we do,鈥� but he contended it has gone in the 鈥渆xact opposite direction鈥� of the Biden administration鈥檚 strong emphasis on the right to abortion.
Under Trump, the GOP removed a call for a constitutional amendment banning abortion from its , and Trump signed an executive order aiming to reduce costs for in vitro fertilization, which some abortion foes oppose because it can result in .
Vance, a Marine veteran who served in Iraq, said that over the past four decades, 鈥渋t has often been historical Christian communities who bear the brunt of failed American foreign policy.鈥� That was an apparent allusion to such things as the U.S. invasion of Iraq鈥檚 impact on its Christian minority.
鈥淧erhaps the most important way in which Donald Trump has been a defender of Christian rights all over the world is he has a foreign policy that is oriented towards peace,鈥� Vance said, mentioning Russia, Ukraine and the Middle East by name.
The Catholic minority in Ukraine has been a staunch supporter of its country鈥檚 defense against the Russian invasion. Trump was scheduled to meet Friday with Ukrainian President as he hopes to persuade Trump to provide some form of U.S. backing for Ukraine鈥檚 security against any future Russian aggression.
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Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP鈥檚 with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.
Peter Smith, The Associated Press
