Sunday, May 18, 2025
Smart Again
  • Home
  • Trending
  • Politics
  • Law & Defense
  • Community
  • Contact Us
No Result
View All Result
Smart Again
  • Home
  • Trending
  • Politics
  • Law & Defense
  • Community
  • Contact Us
No Result
View All Result
Smart Again
No Result
View All Result
Home Trending

JD Vance Returns to the Vatican, a Potential Reset for the American Right

May 18, 2025
in Trending
Reading Time: 4 mins read
0 0
A A
0
JD Vance Returns to the Vatican, a Potential Reset for the American Right
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter


The announcement that Vice President JD Vance would attend Pope Leo XIV’s inauguration mass included a simple line.

“Pope Leo XIV is the first American Pope. Vice President Vance is the first Catholic convert to serve as Vice President,” the White House notice said.

It was neutral, yet telling. The first American pope holds the seat of St. Peter at a time when conservative Catholicism has political strength in the United States, embodied in the man first in line to the presidency. The relationship between the two will be one of the most-watched developments of Pope Leo’s papacy.

The cardinals’ selection of Pope Leo tests the strained relationship between the bishop of Rome and the American right wing. Just four Sundays ago, Mr. Vance shook hands with a pope who had publicly chastised his theology and position on immigration, and who faced longstanding frustration from traditionalist Catholics. This Sunday he arrives to greet a leader who appears to share many of his predecessor’s views, including direct criticism of Mr. Vance in a now-deleted social media account associated with his name.

Leading conservative American Catholics often say they do not know Pope Leo personally. Yet while some had different first choices for the papacy, Pope Leo has begun by positioning himself as a conciliatory, moderate force. Some conservatives are finding points of commonality in his theology and administrative pragmatism, and even cautious anticipation that their relationship with Rome may reset.

“He seems to be a man of deep prayer and reflection who believes in service to others and fidelity to the Church’s doctrine and constant teaching,” said Ashley McGuire, a senior fellow with The Catholic Association. “I am optimistic that he can bring unity to the church through clear and compassionate leadership of the faithful.”

Some activists note that they love the symbolism of Pope Leo’s coat of arms, with its message of unity and communion in the church. He also invited the leader of Opus Dei, a Catholic group with strong conservative support, for a brief meeting, “in which the Pope expressed his closeness and affection,” the group said in a statement.

Pope Leo’s focus on the dignity of the worker in the modern world, and indications that he will focus on labor and society, may be points of particular connection.

Pope Leo and Mr. Vance share a hero in St. Augustine, if they at times may interpret him in diverging ways. The day Mr. Vance converted to Catholicism through study with Dominican friars, he chose Augustine as his patron, having found inspiration in his fifth-century treatise, “City of God,” that challenged Rome’s ruling class. “Our society is more than the sum of its economic statistics,” Mr. Vance later said.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who is joining Mr. Vance at the Vatican, has previously pointed to Pope Leo XIII’s landmark 19th-century treatise Rerum Novarum, which addressed the needs and dignity of workers, as a basis for his own views about economic reform.

When Pope Leo met with ambassadors on Friday, he called on governments to “build harmonious and peaceful civil societies,” and then cited a line from that 19th-century text that sounds similar to some of the economic populism of the Catholic right.

“This can be achieved above all by investing in the family, founded upon the stable union between a man and a woman, ‘a small but genuine society, and prior to all civil society,’” he said. But he immediately followed it with the reminder to respect the dignity of the unemployed, “citizens and immigrants alike.”

His attention to the dignity of the worker appeals across political divides.

“The fact that he is focused on tech and A.I., issues of the day, says a lot,” said John Cannon, the founder of SENT, a network for Catholic business leaders, who was in Rome for America Week events before the conclave.

For some traditionalists, Pope Leo is unique because he is a strong administrator and a missionary. “The fact that you have both in one person is very rare,” Mr. Cannon said.

Representative Riley Moore, Republican of West Virginia, introduced a resolution in Congress to honor Pope Leo, saying he exemplified “humility and courage.” (Before Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost became pope, his social media account shared criticisms of the Trump administration’s positions on immigration. Last month, Rep. Moore posted on social media a photo of himself with two thumbs up while standing in front of a crowded cell of inmates in El Salvador’s notorious CECOT prison, where the Trump administration had sent deportees.)

A bipartisan group asked House Speaker Mike Johnson to invite Pope Leo to address Congress. “An address by his Holiness would serve as a powerful reminder of our shared commitments to peace, service to others, and moral leadership,” it wrote.

Some conservatives who were openly opposed to Pope Leo’s election have softened their approach. Days before the white smoke, Catholic Vote’s media arm suggested that liberal and conservative news media had coordinated a campaign to push for Cardinal Prevost.

“I’m certainly not a fan of this guy,” Josh Mercer, who founded Catholic Vote with Brian Burch, President Trump’s nominee to be ambassador to the Holy See, said in a podcast. “Obviously, the reason why he is being pushed is because he seems to be a little bit more of a palatable liberal that could carry on what Francis is doing.”

But several days after the election, Mr. Mercer noted in an opinion essay with Steve Cortes, a former Trump adviser, that it seemed that Pope Leo subscribed to “tenets of the economic agenda of patriotic populism.”



Source link

Tags: AmericanConservatism (US Politics)J DLeo XIVPopespotentialResetreturnsRoman Catholic ChurchVanceVatican
Previous Post

C&L’s Late Night Music Club With Lorde: ‘Solar Power’

Next Post

Redlining shaped the power grid. Communities of color are still paying the price.

Related Posts

Trump Threatens Walmart For Raising Prices Due To His Tariffs
Trending

Trump Threatens Walmart For Raising Prices Due To His Tariffs

May 18, 2025
Is Donald Trump’s movement really a “cult”? Well, I ought to know
Trending

Is Donald Trump’s movement really a “cult”? Well, I ought to know

May 18, 2025
Donald Trump keeps declaring national emergencies. Why?
Trending

Donald Trump keeps declaring national emergencies. Why?

May 18, 2025
C&L’s Late Night Music Club With Lorde: ‘Solar Power’
Trending

C&L’s Late Night Music Club With Lorde: ‘Solar Power’

May 18, 2025
Democrats Need a One-Page, Easy-Read Sheet Outlining Their AFA (AGENDA FOR AMERICA). Distribute It Across Red States.
Trending

Democrats Need a One-Page, Easy-Read Sheet Outlining Their AFA (AGENDA FOR AMERICA). Distribute It Across Red States.

May 17, 2025
DoJ Is Investigating UnitedHealth Group For Medicare Fraud
Trending

DoJ Is Investigating UnitedHealth Group For Medicare Fraud

May 17, 2025
Next Post
Redlining shaped the power grid. Communities of color are still paying the price.

Redlining shaped the power grid. Communities of color are still paying the price.

Donald Trump keeps declaring national emergencies. Why?

Donald Trump keeps declaring national emergencies. Why?

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

  • Trending
  • Comments
  • Latest
“A huge net positive”: Controversial “Squid Game” character challenges Western representation ideals

“A huge net positive”: Controversial “Squid Game” character challenges Western representation ideals

December 31, 2024
Will the next pope be liberal or conservative? Neither.

Will the next pope be liberal or conservative? Neither.

April 21, 2025
Zero-sum politics is destroying America. We can build a way out.

Zero-sum politics is destroying America. We can build a way out.

March 22, 2025
Why the Karen Read retrial might end differently this time

Why the Karen Read retrial might end differently this time

May 3, 2025
What Megyn Kelly gets right — and wrong — about Conclave 

What Megyn Kelly gets right — and wrong — about Conclave 

January 12, 2025
The roots of Donald Trump’s fixation with South Africa

The roots of Donald Trump’s fixation with South Africa

February 15, 2025
“They stole an election”: Former Florida senator found guilty in “ghost candidates” scandal

“They stole an election”: Former Florida senator found guilty in “ghost candidates” scandal

0
The Hawaii senator who faced down racism and ableism—and killed Nazis

The Hawaii senator who faced down racism and ableism—and killed Nazis

0
The murder rate fell at the fastest-ever pace last year—and it’s still falling

The murder rate fell at the fastest-ever pace last year—and it’s still falling

0
Trump used the site of the first assassination attempt to spew falsehoods

Trump used the site of the first assassination attempt to spew falsehoods

0
MAGA church plans to raffle a Trump AR-15 at Second Amendment rally

MAGA church plans to raffle a Trump AR-15 at Second Amendment rally

0
Tens of thousands are dying on the disability wait list

Tens of thousands are dying on the disability wait list

0
Trump Threatens Walmart For Raising Prices Due To His Tariffs

Trump Threatens Walmart For Raising Prices Due To His Tariffs

May 18, 2025
House Republicans Will Vote Again on President Trump’s Legislative Agenda

House Republicans Will Vote Again on President Trump’s Legislative Agenda

May 18, 2025
Is Donald Trump’s movement really a “cult”? Well, I ought to know

Is Donald Trump’s movement really a “cult”? Well, I ought to know

May 18, 2025
Donald Trump keeps declaring national emergencies. Why?

Donald Trump keeps declaring national emergencies. Why?

May 18, 2025
Redlining shaped the power grid. Communities of color are still paying the price.

Redlining shaped the power grid. Communities of color are still paying the price.

May 18, 2025
JD Vance Returns to the Vatican, a Potential Reset for the American Right

JD Vance Returns to the Vatican, a Potential Reset for the American Right

May 18, 2025
Smart Again

Stay informed with Smart Again, the go-to news source for liberal perspectives and in-depth analysis on politics, social justice, and more. Join us in making news smart again.

CATEGORIES

  • Community
  • Law & Defense
  • Politics
  • Trending
  • Uncategorized
No Result
View All Result

LATEST UPDATES

  • Trump Threatens Walmart For Raising Prices Due To His Tariffs
  • House Republicans Will Vote Again on President Trump’s Legislative Agenda
  • Is Donald Trump’s movement really a “cult”? Well, I ought to know
  • About Us
  • Advertise with Us
  • Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • DMCA
  • Cookie Privacy Policy
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Contact Us

Copyright © 2024 Smart Again.
Smart Again is not responsible for the content of external sites.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Trending
  • Politics
  • Law & Defense
  • Community
  • Contact Us

Copyright © 2024 Smart Again.
Smart Again is not responsible for the content of external sites.

Go to mobile version