La Croix : After the clash between Léon XIV and Donald Trump, and especially the violent attack by the latter against the pope, American Vice President J.D. Vance called on Monday, April 13th for the Vatican to “stick to moral questions.” How do you interpret this invective?
In a sense, J.D. Vance is right: the Pope’s field of intervention is primarily religious and moral, in the name of the Gospel. Unfortunately, he did not understand that it is precisely on the moral ground that Léon XIV stands. This confirms that the American Vice President, though Catholic, is a poor theologian. The Second Vatican Council explicitly addresses this issue in the constitution Gaudium et spes, promulgated by Paul VI in 1965. This major text unequivocally recognizes the legitimate autonomy of the political and religious spheres. However, the Council adds that the Church must be able to “everywhere and always” preach the faith, teach its social doctrine, carry out its mission, and also “make a moral judgment, even in matters that touch the political domain, when the fundamental rights of the person or the salvation of souls require it.” We are precisely in this situation. Moreover, Donald Trump and J.D. Vance have not been mistaken. If they have reacted so strongly, it is precisely because what Léon says is of a moral nature.
