Vice President JD Vance addressed questions about his relationship with Pope Leo XIV during an interview with New York Times columnist Ross Douthat while promoting his book, 'Communion: Finding My Way Back to Faith,' which recounts his conversion to Catholicism at age 35.

The discussion became tense when Douthat referenced public disagreements between Vance and the pope, particularly regarding the administration’s policies and the conflict involving Iran.Douthat characterized the situation as a dispute between a Catholic vice president and the leader of the Catholic Church.Vance rejected that characterization, insisting that he is not engaged in a conflict with the pope.He argued that some of his previous comments had been misunderstood or taken out of context.

While acknowledging that he has publicly commented on the pope’s statements, Vance said he appreciates the pontiff’s willingness to speak on contemporary issues and to advocate for peace.The vice president emphasized that the pope and elected government officials have different responsibilities.

According to Vance, the pope’s role is to preach the Gospel and provide moral guidance, while the vice president’s role is to apply moral principles in ways that serve the interests of the American people and balance competing policy concerns.He suggested that disagreements between religious leaders and political leaders are sometimes unavoidable because their responsibilities differ.Throughout the exchange, Vance maintained that differing views on matters such as foreign policy should not be interpreted as a personal feud.

Instead, he described the relationship as one in which moral perspectives and governmental decision-making may occasionally come into tension without constituting an outright conflict.