ToplineThe U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ issued a statement Wednesday defending Pope Leo XIV’s teachings on war, pushing back shortly after Vice President JD Vance said the pope should “be careful” when voicing opinions on church teachings, amid an escalating clash between Washington and the Vatican. Vance said Pope Leo XIV should "be careful" voicing opinions about theology at a Turning Point USA event Tuesday. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)Getty ImagesKey FactsThe Committee on Doctrine, a subset of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops that advises bishops on theological and doctrinal issues, said Pope Leo XIV’s criticisms of the war maintain a “thousand-year tradition” of church teachings that war is only legitimate “in self-defense, once all peace efforts have failed.”The statement appeared to push back against Vance, who said at a Turning Point USA event the pope should “be careful” if he chooses to “opine on matters of theology,” questioning his comments about war.The Committee on Doctrine’s statement said the pope is “not merely offering opinions on theology,” he is speaking as “supreme pastor of the universal Church” and is “preaching the Gospel and exercising his ministry as the Vicar of Christ.”The statement, authored by Committee on Doctrine chair Bishop James Massa, did not mention Vance by name, but a post on X by the New York State Catholic Conference said the statement was published in response to “recent public comments by several political leaders and pundits.”“To be a just war it must be a defense against another who actively wages war,” Massa said, citing a homily Leo delivered in March, in which he said God “does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war.”Archbishop Paul S. Coakley, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, criticized President Donald Trump’s attacks on the pope on Monday, saying he is “disheartened that the President chose to write such disparaging words about the Holy Father,” who is “not his rival.”What Did Vance Say About The Pope?Amid an escalating clash between the White House and the Catholic Church, Vance said Leo XIV should “be careful when he talks about matters of theology” at a Turning Point USA event in Athens, Georgia on Tuesday. Vance, who converted to Catholicism in 2019 at age 35, questioned Leo’s statement that disciples of Christ are “never on the side of those who once wielded the sword and today drop bombs.” “Was God on the side of the Americans who liberated France from the Nazis?” Vance said, adding he believes the answer is “yes.” Vance criticized Leo’s anti-war statements, saying if the pope is “going to opine on matters of theology,” his words should be “anchored in the truth.” Vance clarified he admires the pope and appreciates when he “speaks on issues of the day,” even when he disagrees.What Is The Latest In The Washington-Vatican Feud?Trump has increasingly attacked the pope over his anti-war stance, making repeated swipes at Leo on Truth Social in recent days. “Will someone please tell Pope Leo that Iran has killed at least 42,000 innocent, completely unarmed, protesters in the last two months,” Trump said shortly before midnight Tuesday, adding Iran having a nuclear weapon is “absolutely unacceptable.” Earlier this week, Trump lashed out in a lengthy Truth Social post, slamming Leo as “WEAK on Crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy,” saying he should “get his act together as Pope, use Common Sense, stop catering to the Radical Left.” When asked about Trump’s attacks, Leo said he has “no fear of the Trump administration, or speaking out loudly of the message of the Gospel,” saying he will “continue to speak out loudly against war.” A report in the Free Press claimed a January meeting between Pentagon and Vatican officials was bitter, though the Pentagon denied this in a statement and called the report “highly exaggerated.” The Free Press claimed Pentagon officials warned the Church must take the United States’ side in global affairs, threatening the Avignon Papacy—a period in the 14th century when France ousted the pope and exerted control over the Church.TangentTrump posted an apparently AI-generated picture to Truth Social earlier this week that appeared to depict him as Jesus, sparking backlash, including from some Republicans. Trump later deleted the image and said he thought it depicted him as a doctor. On Wednesday, he posted another picture that depicts him hugging Jesus, calling the picture “quite nice” while admitting “Radical Left Lunatics might not like this.”What Has Leo Said About The Iran War?Leo has emerged as one of the most prominent global critics of the war in Iran. “Enough of war!” he said at a prayer service over the weekend, condemning the “delusion of omnipotence” fueling the conflict. Leo previously warned the “spiral of violence” could risk becoming “an unbridgeable chasm,” saying peace can be achieved “only through reasonable, sincere, and responsible dialogue.”Further ReadingPope Leo Says He Has ‘No Fear’ Of Trump Administration After President Attacks Him (Forbes)Trump Posts AI Photo With Jesus—Days After He Was Slammed For ‘Blasphemy’ (Forbes)