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  "path": "/news/jd-vance-says-vatican-should-stick-to-morality-amid-trump-feud-with-pope-leo.html",
  "publishedAt": "2026-04-14T02:49:57.000Z",
  "site": "https://www.wantedinrome.com",
  "tags": [
    "News",
    "Politics",
    "Religion"
  ],
  "textContent": "Catholic convert Vance seeks to play down Trump's since-deleted image of himself as Jesus-like figure.\n\nUS vice president JD Vance has waded into the dispute between President Donald Trump and Pope Leo XIV, urging the Vatican to confine itself to matters of morality and church affairs rather than commenting on American foreign policy.\n\n\nVance was questioned on Fox News about the feud in his capacity as a Catholic convert. He heaped praise on Trump for not being \"filtered\" before arguing that it is \"totally reasonable\" for the president to have \"disagreements\" with Leo.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nHe said: \"In some cases, it would be best for the Vatican to stick to matters of morality, to stick to matters of what's going on in the Catholic Church, and let the president of the United States stick to dictating American public policy.\"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nHe sought to play down the significance of the rift, adding: \"I don't worry about it too much. I think it's a natural thing - it's not that big of a deal.\"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nTrump as Jesus\n\n\n\n\n\n\nVance, who converted to Catholicism in 2019, was also pressed about a since-deleted AI-generated image posted by Trump that appeared to depict the president as Jesus Christ curing the sick.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nRepeatedly calling the matter not \"newsworthy,\" Vance insisted that Trump was \"posting a joke\" and said he \"took it down because he recognised that a lot of people weren't understanding his humour.\"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nTrump himself had claimed earlier that day that he thought the image - widely viewed as blasphemous - was depicting him \"as a doctor, making people better.\"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nTrump's attack on Pope Leo\n\n\n\n\n\n\nThe backdrop to Vance's intervention was Trump's scathing attack branding Pope Leo \"WEAK on crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy,\" which itself followed the pontiff's condemnation of Trump's threat to destroy Iranian civilisation as \"truly unacceptable.\"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nOn Monday, departing on an apostolic journey to Africa, Pope Leo shrugged off the attacks, saying he had \"no fear of the Trump administration\" and reaffirming his commitment to the Gospel message of peace.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nBacklash in Italy\nTrump's attack on the pontiff and the image presenting himself in the style of Jesus sparked a major backlash in Italy, including among the country's top politicians, all of whom defended Pope Leo.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\"Attacking the pope, a symbol of peace and spiritual guide for billions of Catholics, doesn't seem like a useful or intelligent thing to do\", deputy premier Matteo Salvini said, without mentioning Trump by name.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nPrime minister Giorgia Meloni went further - albeit belatedly - stating: \"I find President Trump's words toward the Holy Father unacceptable. The Pope is the head of the Catholic Church, and it is right and normal that he calls for peace and condemns all forms of war.\"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nPhoto credit: Phil Mistry / Shutterstock.com",
  "title": "Vance tells Vatican to 'stick to morality' amid Trump's feud with Pope Leo"
}