Pope Leo XIV and JD Vance are the most prominent American Catholics in the world. Their disagreements reflect a divide among their fellow Americans.

Vice President JD Vance waded into the back-and-forth between Trump and the Pope the war with Iran and the president's controversial Jesus post.

The statement said Catholic tradition holds that nations 'can only legitimately take up the sword' in self-defense after peace efforts have failed.

Tensions increased further in April, when American cardinals joined Leo in challenging the morality of war against Iran. Trump crudely assailed the pope on social media, denigrating him as “WEAK on ...