“Vice President JD Vance said Tuesday that Pope Leo XIV should 'be careful' when he talks about theology, rebuking the pontiff over his criticisms of U.S. foreign policy.”

“Vance argued that the pope, who has said Jesus 'is never on the side of those who once wielded the sword and today drop bombs,' was failing to take into account conflicts such as World War II.”

“Vance said that he likes it when the pope weighs in on issues such as abortion, immigration or 'matters of war and peace' but that he sometimes disagrees with him.”

“Leo, asked by NBC News about Trump’s words, said he has 'no fear' of the Trump administration. He also vowed to keep up his appeals for peace, saying they were rooted in Gospel.”

“Trump’s digs at the pope caused upheaval among the Catholic community in America, with clergy defending Leo and saying Trump’s attacks were inappropriate.”

“They came shortly before Trump posted an AI image depicting himself as a Christ-like figure. He deleted the post following pushback from supporters and allies. The next day, Trump said that he thought the image was a reference to the Red Cross and that it depicted him as a physician healing a patient.”