The pontiff will gather senior Church leaders behind closed doors on Friday to hash out new guidelines on when war can be justified, according to Politico.
It comes after Vance told the pope to be “careful” about his theology following Leo‘s condemnation of those who “once wielded the sword and today drop bombs.”
Rather than backing down, Leo has gone further — declaring the Church’s centuries-old just war theory is now “outdated.”
Vance argued that while Leo serves as a “shepherd” to the global church, he still has a responsibility to uphold law and order in the United States.
Francesco Sisci, director of the Rome-based Appia Institute think tank, said any statement to come out of the meeting would carry “greater force,” Politico reported.
Sisci said most cardinals are expected to fall in line, though a small number of clergy have continued to give theological backing to those who support the war.
“It’s messy,” he said. “If JD Vance and [tech billionaire] Peter Thiel are claiming Iran is a just war, maybe it’s because there are priests who are lending them credence.”
In a conversation with the New York Times’ Ross Douthat in May, Vance opened up about how he’s balanced his position as VP with his Catholic faith.
Vance also hit out at Leo’s stance on immigration, saying his goal is to build a more united America.
He argued that unchecked immigration tears communities apart and squeezes out the jobs and benefits that belong to American citizens.
“The point that I’ve tried to make is I think a lot about this question of social cohesion in the United States,” he said.
“And I do think that those who care about what might be called the common good, they sometimes underweigh how destructive immigration at the levels and at the pace that we’ve seen over the last few years is to the common good.
“I really do think that social solidarity is destroyed when you have too much migration too quickly.”
Vance defended President Donald Trump‘s border crackdown, saying the administration is working around the clock to stop illegal immigration.
He said he respects those who come to America fleeing violence or poverty, but stressed his first responsibility is to American citizens.
Vance said: “I have a very sacred obligation, I think, to enforce the laws and to promote the common good of my own country, defined as the people with the legal right to be here.”
Source: https://www.the-sun.com/news/16587571/pope-leo-jd-vance-feud-iran-war-vatican-meeting/
