JD Vance and the Pope

 It is perfectly fine to disagree with the Pope. Even for a devout Catholic. But it is very odd to tell him, as our Vice President did, that he should "be careful when he talks about matters of theology." 

 

I mean, one can say "be careful" in a helpful way. If someone is venturing into uncertain ground. I think, perhaps, of JFK trying to speak German and identify as a Berliner, not knowing he had just called himself a jelly doughnut. He might have been happy if someone had warned him to be careful in using a language in which he was not fluent. But theology is the pope's domain. Talking about theology is what the pope does. Advising the pope to be careful about his theology is like advising Tolkien to be careful if he should venture an opinion about Anglo-Saxon, or maybe telling Henry Kissinger to be careful before he tries to engage in foreign policy. That just doesn't make sense.

 

The other way to say "be careful" could also be considered helpful. This is the "be careful" the big guy at the bar says when you tell a story about his wife. This is the "be careful" that says that there may be consequences if you say the wrong thing. I don't think JD Vance was threatening the pope with personal harm, of course, that's far beyond the pale. But could the office of the President of the United States make things happen the pope wouldn't like? Of course it could. Would the office of the President do so? I don't know. But anyone who has ever bet on shaming this president out of anything has lost their shirt.

 

It's like his infamous phone call to Ukraine in his first term: nice country you've got there. Shame if something should happen to it. And surprise of surprises, something did happen to it. So now the pope is in the hot seat. You should be careful when you talk theology. You might not like some of the things that could happen.