<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/donald-trump" rel="" target="" title="Donald Trump"><span>Donald Trump</span></a><span>'s vice president has said the pope 'needs to be careful' when commenting on theology.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/jd-vance" rel="" target="" title="JD Vance"><span>JD Vance</span></a><span>, who converted to Catholicism seven years ago, made the comments at a Turning Point USA event.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"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, I think it's very, very important for the Pope to be careful when he talks about matters of theology," Vance said.</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/donald-trump-wall-street-journal-lawsuit-dismissed-florida-judge-jeffrey-epstein-letter-usa-news/89dbfad3-ffe3-49ac-9463-0067409cca42"><strong><span>Trump learns the fate of $14 billion lawsuit over Epstein birthday letter</span></strong></a><span></span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"If you're going to opine on matters of theology, you've got to be careful, you've got to make sure it's anchored in the truth. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"That's one of the things that I try to do, and it's certainly something I would expect from the clergy, whether they're Catholic or Protestant."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Vance was responding to </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/pope-leo" rel="" target="" title="Pope Leo XIV"><span>Pope Leo XIV</span></a><span>'s message </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/pope-leo-says-donald-trump-iran-war-remarks-unacceptable/42a49f61-3a3d-4fe6-aa74-c2be5b655a48" rel="" target="" title="days ago in favour of peace"><span>days ago in favour of peace</span></a><span>.</span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/world/jd-vance-pope-leo-xiv-donald-trump-careful-theology-warning-iran-war-middle-east-updates/6a640168-dc5f-4ae7-9c68-9e918ad8d2a8" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"God does not bless any conflict," the pope said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"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."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Vance said the pope's comments were in contradiction to a "more than thousand-year tradition of Just War theory".</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"He said that God is never on the side of those who wield the sword...how can you say that?" Vance said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/donald-trump-pope-leo-xiv-war-weak-and-terrible-trumps-remarkable-criticism-of-pope-marks-stark-turnaround/e93825bf-07bb-4a89-90d9-3f5344cab937" rel="" target="" title="Pope says he does not fear Trump after president's broadside"><strong><span>Pope says he does not fear Trump after president's broadside</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Was God on the side of the Americans who liberated France from the Nazis?</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Was God on the side of the Americans who liberated Holocaust camps and liberated those innocent people from those who had survived the Holocaust?"</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Vance has publicly espoused his Catholic faith, including penning an autobiography about his faith journey this year.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The vice president was baptised as a Catholic in 2019, three years before he entered electoral politics. Before that he identified as an atheist.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Vance's comments come days after Trump drew the ire of Christians by posting an </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/donald-trump-pope-leo-xiv-war-weak-and-terrible-trumps-remarkable-criticism-of-pope-marks-stark-turnaround/e93825bf-07bb-4a89-90d9-3f5344cab937" rel="" target="" title="AI-generated image of himself as Jesus Christ"><span>AI-generated image of himself as Jesus Christ</span></a><span>.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/donald-trump-dementia-cognitive-test-jamie-raskin-demand-usa-iran-politics-news/d34b7be0-49eb-4392-aeb2-d0af1c8d1068"><strong><span>Top Democrat demands Donald Trump submit to a dementia test</span></strong></a><span></span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>In the image, Trump is dressed in robes and healing a man with glowing light from his hand. In the foreground a kneeling woman prays to him.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Trump later deleted the image and claimed he was actually being depicted as a doctor.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Vance meanwhile brushed off the criticism by claiming Trump was making a joke.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"I think the president was posting a joke, and of course, he took it down because he recognised a lot of people weren't understanding his humour," Vance said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Earlier this week, Trump accused Pope Leo as being "weak on crime".</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The first American pope, Leo XIV has been the head of the Catholic Church for less than a year.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The Chicago-born pontiff was ordained in 1982 and became a cardinal in 2023.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/eric-swalwell-tony-gonzales-resignation-sexual-misconduct-staffers-usa-news/bf6e85d1-803e-4079-a45a-5887ca58ae55" rel="" target="" title="Congressmen accused of sexual misconduct against staffers resign"><strong><span>Congressmen accused of sexual misconduct against staffers resign</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><em><span>NEVER MISS A STORY:</span></em></strong><span> </span><em><span>Get your breaking news and exclusive stories first by following us across all platforms.</span></em></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><ul><li><strong><em><span>Download the 9NEWS App here via</span></em></strong><span> </span><a href="https://apps.apple.com/au/app/9news/id1010533727" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>Apple</span></em></strong></a><span> </span><strong><em><span>and</span></em></strong><span> </span><a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=nineNewsAlerts.nine.com&amp;hl=en_AU&amp;pli=1" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>Google Play</span></em></strong></a></li><li><strong><em><span>Make 9News your preferred source on Google by</span></em></strong><span> </span><a href="https://9.nine.com.au/8x987w" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>ticking this box here</span></em></strong></a></li><li><strong><em><span>Sign up to</span></em></strong><span> </span><a href="https://login.nine.com.au/edm?client_id=nineatnine" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>our breaking newsletter here</span></em></strong></a></li></ul></div></div>