Pope Leo XIV: When Robert Francis Prevost ‘Sang’ to JD Vance

Last January, the 14th was still an American Cardinal named Robert Francis Prevost when a statement by the U.S. Vice President about Christian love sparked a reaction from the then 69-year-old future Pontiff. Pope Leo XIV, as Robert Francis Prevost, responded to the American Vice President: “JD Vance is wrong. Jesus does not ask us to rank our love for others.” But what had happened, and to what was the then Cardinal responding? JD Vance, in an interview on January 29th with Fox News, said: “There’s a Christian view that you first love your family, then you love your neighbor, then you love your community, then you love your fellow citizens, and finally, you extend love to the rest of the world. Much of the far Left has completely flipped this hierarchy.” However, many questioned whether this hierarchy proposed by Vance was valid. For some, it seemed grounded in the First Epistle to Timothy by Apostle Paul: “If anyone does not provide for their relatives, especially those in their household, they have denied the faith and are worse than an unbeliever.” This verse essentially states: “Whoever does not take care of their relatives, especially those in their own home, has rejected the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.” Thus, Prevost’s response came through social media, where he endorsed and shared an article from the National Catholic Reporter titled ‘JD Vance is wrong.’ Although the post was made last February, it might still resonate today.