Catholic Politicians, you are Catholics first

On May 18, US Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio attended the Inauguration Mass for Pope Leo XIV and had a private audience with him the next day. Both are Catholic, and Vice President Vance said in an interview a few days later that in his official capacity as the vice president, he doesn’t see himself as JD Vance the Catholic and so he puts his personal feelings aside, which is why he didn’t kiss the ring of Pope Leo. He also said that there is a policy among American politicians that they don’t bow to other world leaders and that he wants to respect this because of his love and respect for the country. Unfortunately, this mindset of putting one’s personal beliefs aside in a professional setting is common among Catholic politicians and it only seems to be called out when a Catholic politician supports abortion. However, living out every part of our faith is crucial in our life, even in a professional setting, and it is what Jesus calls us to do.

When we are baptized, we are made members of the Body of Christ and are baptized into His Death, so as to live in order to deny ourselves and live eternally with Him in heaven. We belong no longer to ourselves, but to Christ. It also incorporates us into Christ’s threefold office of priest, prophet, and king. We share in his priestly office by offering spiritual sacrifices, his prophetic office by sharing God’s word, and his kingship by overcoming sin and leading others. We are called to share the faith and lead others by our words and example.

Jesus reiterates this calling in John 15:19, when He reminds us that as His disciples, we do not belong to the world, “but I chose you out of the world.” He also says in verse 8 that to show ourselves to be His disciples, we must bear much fruit, thus glorifying His Father. Nowhere in these verses does He say that we are excused in a professional setting and can set certain things aside in some situations, even political ones. Being chosen out of the world means that we have to constantly strive to show ourselves to be above worldly things. When we choose to be a disciple of Christ, we must agree to let it completely transform us, and when something transforms us, we can’t help but let it spill out to our interactions with others, whether personally or professionally.

There are some things in Vance’s statement that need correction. The first thing that should be pointed out is that the pope is not just any world leader. He is the Vicar of Christ, and His physical representation on earth. So, when you kiss his ring and bow to him, it is as if you are doing these actions before Christ Himself, and it is an act of humility and obedience to not just the pope’s authority as Christ’s representative, but also to Christ and His sovereignty over all. And many American politicians, particularly in this administration, acknowledge God’s sovereignty over the country and call upon Him to protect and bless us. It would be wonderful if the Catholics who are in politics would set the example of honoring and respecting the pope and bishops by kissing their rings and bowing, thus heeding Jesus’s call to share the faith with others. You’re not forcing anyone else to do it, just giving witness to what you believe.

The next point is about Vance wanting to respect the country’s policy on not bowing because of his love and respect for the country. We should love and respect America because it is our home and we have freedoms here that many other countries don’t enjoy. And Vance is a former Marine, so I can only imagine that having served your country brings your love and respect for it to a deeper level. However, you should be loving and respecting God and your faith more, and if you’re not, that’s a problem. It’s holding your country up as an idol, and that’s a violation of the First Commandment. You also have to consider that this policy was made by man, and as Catholics, we are instructed to follow the example of Peter and the other apostles, who when they were brought before the Sanhedrin for continuing to preach in the name of Jesus after being told not to, said “We must obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29).

The mindset of putting certain Catholic practices and beliefs aside in political settings goes back to the time of JFK, who was the first Catholic president and said much of the same things that Vance did. Sadly, I don’t believe that JFK was corrected then and I haven’t seen any priest or bishop addressing it now. Support of abortion, while very grave and important to address, is not the only part of failing to live out Catholic teaching that needs to be called out. Everyday practices, like kissing a bishop’s or the pope’s ring, are just as important and need to be stressed as an important factor in showing our faith to others. Living the Catholic faith is not a “personal choice.” It’s a requirement bestowed on us by our baptism.