Vice President JD Vance declined to talk about the newly elected pope Friday, calling his election a "great thing."
"Many of my life say you will never have a pope in the United States," Vance told conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt after being asked to react to the election. "Obviously, now we do that, so I think that's a great thing."
Vance added: "We know nothing about him, but I just wish him all the best, right? I'm a Catholic. He is now the head of the Catholic Church and we will pray for his wisdom, his good decisions and physical health and hope that he has a long-term successful Pap."
The vice president told Hewitt that like the elections of the new pope, they are often "downplayed" by politics.
The inclusive tone of the new pope sits with some people from the "America First" movement
JD Vance declined to talk about the newly elected pope Friday, calling his election a "great thing." (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images; Alberto PizzoliaFP via Getty Images)
"People are asking him if he is a conservative or a liberal," Vance continued. "He will attack President Trump and JD Vance on some things and not attack Democrats on other things."
He said his idea about it is that it is difficult to "adapt a 2,000-year-old institution to the politics of 2025."
Vance added that as a Catholic convert, he tried to "not play the politicization of the Pope game. I'm sure he would say a lot of things I like. I'm sure he would say something I disagree with, but I'll continue to pray for him and the church, even though it's all and the way I'll handle it."
Vance's speech came after news about the X account related to Cardinal Robert Prevost, now Pope Leo, which republished the article earlier this year criticizing the Trump administration for its push for deportation.
He also agreed with Hewitt that reporters asked Leo about Trump’s election at a press conference, which was “disappointing”.
The first American-born pope inspired faith leaders across the country
Vance met with the late Pope Francis last month. (Vatican Media via AP, HO)
"The church is much bigger than politics," he said, adding that most of the millions of Catholics in the United States are not worried about whether the pope is liberal or conservative.
He continued: “You know, there are a lot of opinions on the perspective of the Catholic leadership.
Vance said that while the church involves public policy from time to time, “this is not anything.”
He concluded: “I think it would be better for all of us if we allowed the church to save the soul without trying to install it into a pre-determined political box.”
Leo XIV was elected Pope Francis and succeeded Francis on Thursday after he died after a healthy battle.
President Trump quickly congratulated Leo on his choice on Thursday.
On May 8, the newly elected Pope Leo XIV saw it from the Vatican balcony for the first time. (Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)
"It's an honor to realize that he is the first pope in the United States," he wrote in The Truth Society Post. "What excitement is an honor for our country. I look forward to meeting Pope Leo. It will be a very meaningful moment!"
But other conservatives, Steve Bannon, was former White House chief strategist for Trump’s first administration and a Catholic, calling Leo the “worst draft pick ever.”
Joey Mannerino, a pro-Trump conservative commentator Go to X Responsible for “The new pope recently attacked JD Vance, which shows solidarity with Kilmar Abrego-Garcia and begged Trump to open a border like Biden. This guy is worse than Francis.”
"It's not a good tweet, so to speak, about having some willingness to open borders. We'll see what he is like. And there's something about George Floyd that I'm not too crazy about."
Click here to get the Fox News app
Kirk added: "In general, he seems to be a biological warrior. There is still a lot of knowledge about the pope, but I hope he will become a strong advocate of a strong border for the strong. For sovereignty."