US EditionUS Catholic Bishops Committee Just Waded Into Pope Leo Feud with Trump
Bishop James Massa said the pope was teaching Catholic just war doctrine, as 1,700 civilians have been killed in the conflict, Reuters reported.
- On Wednesday, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' Committee on Doctrine issued a formal statement defending Pope Leo XIV's opposition to the Iran war, responding to Vice President JD Vance's admonition that the pontiff "be careful" when discussing theology.
- President Donald Trump previously lashed out at Pope Leo, calling him "terrible for foreign policy" and "weak on crime" after the pontiff asserted that disciples of Christ are never on the side of those who "wield the sword and today drop bombs."
- During a Tuesday event in Georgia, Vance invoked the "more than 1,000-year tradition of Just War theory" to challenge the Pope, prompting Auxiliary Bishop James Massa to issue a "clarification on just war theory" emphasizing self-defense only.
- House Speaker Mike Johnson sided with the administration on Wednesday, suggesting Pope Leo "had it coming," while Catholic figures condemned Vance for attempting to order the pontiff silent on moral matters.
- Amid the ongoing Iran war, the conflict between the White House and Vatican deepens as Catholic leaders defend the Church's teaching that peace comes from "patient promotion of coexistence and dialogue among peoples.
15 Articles
15 Articles
Papal rhetoric: ‘War,’ war, and Leo’s call for peace
As the White House continues its criticism of the vicar of Christ, Pope Leo XIV, Vice President JD Vance said Tuesday that the pontiff should be more careful when talking about theology — a surprising admonition from the U.S. vice president.Pope Leo XIV. Credit: Vatican Media.While Vance’s remarks have been widely panned, and seen pushback from the U.S. bishops’ conference and a wide swath of Catholics — they also point to the challenges for Cat…
The USCCB’s Just War Error
Just war is again being discussed in the public square by policymakers and prelates alike. Recently, the chairman of the USCCB’s Committee on Doctrine, Bishop James Massa, made a clarification about just war in response to comments from the president and vice president. Given the war in Iran, there is no better time for such conversation. While much of Bishop Massa’s statement could be interpreted as a defense of the pope, I feel compelled to co…
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