Overview
- The U.S. bishops’ Committee on Doctrine released a statement defending Pope Leo XIV’s comments on war as part of a long tradition that allows force only in self-defense after peace efforts fail.
- The panel said the pope was not sharing personal views but teaching as the Church’s supreme pastor and Vicar of Christ.
- The move followed Vice President JD Vance’s claim at a Turning Point USA event that the pope should be careful when speaking about theology.
- Jesuit priest James Martin challenged Vance’s claim, citing the pope’s Augustinian roots and advanced degrees, and saying the current war in Iran does not meet Catholic just-war tests.
- Reporting described a deepening dispute between Washington and the Vatican over moral guidance on conflict, with some outlets noting Vance’s 2019 conversion as context for the exchange.