Vice President JD Vance is in a curious position now that Pope Leo XIV has assumed office, since Vance is both a Catholic in good standing and a figure who regularly clashes with Catholic leadership.
On Jan. 29, the newly sworn-in vice president of the United States sat down for an interview with Fox News in which he outlined Thomas Aquinas’ explanation of Ordo Amoris, or the concept of “the order of charity.” He argued the 13th-century theologian’s understanding of “ordered loves” is a model for foreign policy, preferring to protect one’s immediate loved ones before taking care of “a stranger who lives thousands of miles away.”
“There’s this old school — and I think it’s a very Christian concept, by the way — that you love your family and then you love your neighbor, and then you love your community, and then you love your fellow citizens and your own country, and then after that you can focus and prioritize the rest of the world,” Vance said.
Tyler Hummel
Ordo Amoris is a fairly sophisticated argument, but attempting to use such an argument in a blunt partisan context strips it of all sophistication. It’s not strictly incorrect, as it merely poses a hierarchical concept of responsibilities and managing priorities, but it runs the risk of just becoming an excuse to mistreat people outside of our immediate circle.
The late Pope Francis implicitly rebuked Vance’s theology in a February letter without mentioning him by name, arguing, “Christian love is not a concentric expansion of interests that little by little extend to other persons and groups. The true ordo amoris that must be promoted is that which we discover by meditating constantly on the parable of the ‘Good Samaritan,’ that is, by meditating on the love that builds a fraternity open to all, without exception.”
Also in February, Pope Leo — still Cardinal Robert Prevost at the time — shared an article from the left-leaning National Catholic Register titled “JD Vance is Wrong: Jesus Doesn’t Ask Us to Rank our Love for Others,” which argued this application of the concept rations the concept of love and limits our understanding of who neighbors are. He also shared tweets criticizing the deportation of Kilmar Abrego Garcia and repeatedly has condemned President Donald Trump’s immigration policies and rhetoric.
“Pope Leo’s American background and willingness to speak to his own people in their language pose a potential challenge to Trump and Vance.”
While Pope Leo’s politics are relatively hard to crack, he is widely perceived as left-leaning on social issues like immigration and in continuity with Pope Francis’ policies, which could place his priorities in tension with those of his home country’s president and vice president. He hasn’t said anything openly hostile to Trump or Vance and appears to have voted for both political parties in the past, but he likely will stand in opposition to both politicians.
As MSNBC contributor Mollie Wilson O’Reilly puts it, Pope Leo’s American background and willingness to speak to his own people in their language pose a potential challenge to Trump and Vance, as the perceived unreality of a pope far away who doesn’t speak our language buffered Americans from criticism. This no longer will be an option.
“Leo XIV will face no obstacles when he has something to communicate to American Catholics. There will be no opportunity for anyone to soften his remarks with ‘What the Holy Father meant to say… .’ This is certainly bad news for Catholics like Vice President JD Vance, who want to use church teaching to serve authoritarian ends. Perhaps the cardinals liked the idea of an American pope who can condemn human rights abuses and call for restitution and repentance in words that will not need translating.”
A confrontation such as this may never come about, as Pope Leo may simply choose to take a hands-off approach to American politics to position himself as the representative of a global church. However, Leo is likely to visit the United States during his papacy and could pepper his visit with criticisms against his home country that would be challenging for Vance to address.
As the nine sitting Catholic bishops of Wisconsin clarified in a recent pastoral letter, the Catholic Church’s official position on immigration is nuanced. Humans must be granted dignity, and foreigners must have their livelihoods protected. At the same time, the church advocates for the rule of law and states’ rights to control their borders and immigration systems. Such a position challenges assumptions on both the left and right, including many of Trump’s hostile stances against immigrants.
“It’s uncivil for a figure so deeply committed to his Catholic faith to publicly spar with the Vicar of Christ.”
Vance isn’t required by his catechism to share every opinion with the sitting pope. However, it’s uncivil for a figure so deeply committed to his Catholic faith to publicly spar with the Vicar of Christ, even if the pope isn’t speaking ex cathedra or infallibly. His Catholic faith dictates that God saw fit to place Pope Leo on the throne, and that confers a responsibility to respect that authority.
Thus far, Vance has maintained a conciliatory attitude toward Pope Leo, congratulating him on his selection on Twitter/X and telling Hugh Hewitt in an interview, “I try not to play the politicization of the pope game” and “I’m sure he’s going to say a lot of things that I love. I’m sure he’ll say some things that I disagree with, but I’ll continue to pray for him and the church despite it all and through it all.”
This is a great first step, with hopes that the White House and the Vatican can work together for mutually beneficial ends that leverage the vast resources of both nations for the good of humanity. However, Vance already has shown himself willing to spar with Pope Francis and could use a reminder that Pope Leo is his chosen spiritual father.
The White House already has butted heads with Pope Francis, with Border Czar Tom Homan effectively demanding the pope stay in his lane. Vance is a better diplomat, but he’s also surrounded by reactionary gadflies and dissident Catholics like Steve Bannon, who are far more willing to directly attack the pope.
Vance may be wise to consider Pope Leo’s guidance, especially at a moment when his boss is willing to push hostile policies while jailing judges for disobeying his rules. Vance’s soul isn’t the only one at stake. Very famously, he chose to convert to Catholicism and is one of the highest profile converts of his generation. He has a responsibility to be a good Catholic as well as a good politician and a good man, and that starts with listening to the pope.
Tyler Hummel is a Wisconsin-based freelance critic and journalist, a member of the Music City Film Critics Association, a regular film and literature contributor at Geeks Under Grace, and was the 2021 College Fix Fellow at Main Street Nashville.
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