JD Vance has some thoughts about how the pope is doing his job

PoliticsOpinion
16 Jun 2026 • 8:22 PM MYT
The Independent
The Independent

The world’s most free-thinking newspaper

JD Vance has some thoughts about how the pope is doing his job

  • Vice President JD Vance criticizes the Vatican's "moral guidance" on migration in his new memoir, "Communion: Finding My Way Back to Faith."
  • Vance expressed dissatisfaction with his meeting with Cardinal Pietro Parolin, stating the Vatican seemed "unwilling to move its moral guidance past the point of trite platitudes."
  • He claimed Vatican diplomats avoided specifying issues with the administration's immigration policies, opting for vagueness.
  • Vance met with Pope Francis shortly before the pontiff's death, noting Francis was "more fragile than I realized" but "very kind."
  • Vance has urged Francis's successor, Pope Leo XIV, to focus on "matters of morality" and be cautious when discussing theology.

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