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Vice President JD Vance expressed surprise at Pope Francis' criticism of the Trump administration's immigration policy during a recent Catholic prayer breakfast. Despite the disagreement, Vance conveyed his prayers for the pope's recovery amid his hospitalization.
Speaking at the National Catholic Prayer Breakfast on February 28, Vance took a conciliatory tone. "While yes, I was certainly surprised when he criticized our immigration policy in the way that he has, I also know that the pope — I believe that the pope — is fundamentally a person who cares about the flock of Christians under his leadership," Vance stated.
Vance recently questioned U.S. bishops' objections to some of Trump's immigration policies, suggesting their opposition to suspending a federal refugee resettlement program was financially motivated. However, audits show that the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops does not profit from this work and often uses church funds to cover costs not met by government support.
The vice president also defended using the theological concept of "ordo amoris" to justify immigration restrictions. Pope Francis rebuked this argument in a letter praising U.S. bishops for defending migrants and criticizing mass deportations as damaging human dignity.
At the breakfast, Vance described public exchanges with religious leaders as unnecessary social media controversies and cautioned against treating them like influencers. "My goal here is not to litigate with him or any other clergy member about who’s right and who’s wrong," he said.
According to Catholic teachings from Vatican II's Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, Catholics are obliged to respect their bishops' teachings on faith and morals. This respect extends particularly to judgments made by the pope.
Vance also recalled Pope Francis’ 2020 “urbi et orbi” prayer during the COVID-19 pandemic as inspirational. He led attendees in prayer for Pope Francis' recovery.
Elsewhere in his remarks, Vance praised President Donald Trump as an effective leader for Catholics in America and acknowledged differing opinions on foreign policy among those present.
Despite friction between church leaders and Trump over certain policies, such as rescinding protections at sensitive locations and revoking refugee contracts, there is praise for actions aligning with Catholic teaching on education and gender policy.
"The one thing that I will promise you is that you’re always going to have an open door with me and with the president," Vance assured attendees.
As only the second Catholic vice president after Joe Biden, Vance described himself as a "baby Catholic," acknowledging gaps in his understanding of faith matters but emphasizing sincerity in his beliefs.
During its 20th anniversary event, Rep. Chris Smith received recognition for his advocacy work from National Catholic Prayer Breakfast organizers. Smith highlighted issues like religious persecution abroad and reducing abortion as priorities for U.S. foreign policy while expressing concerns over changes in PEPFAR under current administration policies.
Cardinal Christophe Pierre delivered an invocation earlier at the event, thanking attendees for their prayers for Pope Francis during his hospitalization.
