The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' doctrinal leadership moved Wednesday to publicly back Pope Leo XIV's authority on war and peace, issuing a formal clarification on just war teaching just hours after Vice President JD Vance told a Turning Point USA crowd that the pope should "be careful" when speaking about theology.
The statement, released by Bishop James Massa, chairman of the USCCB's Committee on Doctrine, is one of the clearest signs yet that the American Catholic hierarchy is closing ranks around the first U.S.-born pontiff as his confrontation with the Trump administration deepens.
