Recently, VP JD Vance went after Pope Leo, telling him, “I think it’s very, very important for the Pope to be careful when he talks about matters of theology.” He went on from there, but I think you get the idea. The Vice President didn’t like it that Pope Leo, who holds a licentiate (which means he trained beyond his Master of Divinity to become an expert in the entire Catholic Canon Law) and a doctorate (also in Canon Law), had the nerve to say that God doesn’t side with violence or any nation at war. Now, Mr. Vance is also a smart, well-educated guy, and is a fairly recent convert to Catholicism. I am sure that the VP could run circles around me – and probably the pope – when it comes to American Juris Prudence. But this pope – who was the head of the Augustinian order until his election – knows a little bit about Catholicism. He also is an expert in Just War Theory, which was developed by St. Augustine over 1600 years ago.
I will not always agree with this pope; in fact, I have never totally agreed with any pope. I will not make excuses for the bad things done by any religion, nor will I agree with every theological point anyone makes that I believe is wrong or unjust. But the arrogance of this newly minted Catholic is astounding! He, and many other Americans, want religious leaders to stay in their lanes, even when politicians feel like it’s okay for them to veer into religious arguments. I – who am not nearly as famous or infamous as the pope – have been told countless times that I shouldn’t talk about politics because I am a pastor. And I am clear about this – I don’t mention names of politicians in worship unless I am praying for them. I do, however, frequently wade into moral issues that some people believe are political, like poverty, education, and the like. Just because I am ordained doesn’t mean I lose the right to speak.
This pope is doing what popes are supposed to do – he is talking about peace. This doesn’t mean that he thinks Iran is led by nice people – they aren’t. They are a very serious threat to the world. The pope was merely pointing out that Catholic teaching expects a process in war that he believes was not followed. And if Mr. Vance had said that he disagreed with the pope, that would have been fine – but to tell Leo to be careful when he talks about matters of theology is like me telling Josh Groban that he needs to tighten up his tone. Ignorance spoken with bravado might convince the uninformed that you are right, with it will always lose when faced with knowledge. I think that it is Mr. Vance who needs to be careful when he talks about matters of theology. This is a fight he cannot win.
Prayer – Merciful God, give us the humility to learn when we are uninformed and to admit when we are wrong. May our ignorance be turned into understanding. Amen.
Today’s art is “Divine Wisdom” by Shiloh Sophia McCloud.