JD Vance was criticized for his gesture towards Pope Leo, which broke established protocol

Less than a month after breaking Vatican norms while touring the holy city, US Vice President JD Vance has found himself in deep water again, this time for acting like a “hillbilly” during his audience with newly elected Pope Leo XIV.

The day before his meeting with Pope Francis, JD Vance spent the day with his family seeing Vatican City and its religious attractions, including the iconic Sistine Chapel.

Despite the Vatican Museum’s severe prohibition on photographing “with any type of electronic equipment,” a photo of the Vice President holding his kid under the Sistine Chapel’s canopy of priceless Michelangelo artwork went viral, causing controversy.

Vance’s increasing chronicle of failures now includes the newly appointed leader of the Roman Catholic Church, Pope Leo XIV, the first American-born pontiff, who MAGA fans have labeled anti-Trump.

Clash with the Trump administration.

Before becoming pope, Chicago-born Pope Leo XIV openly condemned various Republican policies, especially those related to immigration and refugee treatment, which directly oppose the Trump administration.

Early in 2025, Vance stoked controversy by citing Christian principles to support his stance on mass deportation: “There is a Christian concept that you love your family first, then your neighbor, then your community, and then the rest of the world.” “A lot of the far left has completely reversed that,” Vance told Fox.

Pope Leo, then Cardinal Robert Prevost, corrected the vice president by posting on social media that Vance was “wrong” in implying God values love.

“JD Vance is wrong: Jesus doesn’t ask us to rank our love for others,” the pope tweeted via a now-defunct account. According to the New York Times, Prevost did not run the account, but “it was connected to a phone number and email address believed to be tied to him.”

‘Politicalization of the Pope Game’

Vance recently attempted to downplay the tension in an interview, stating that as a Catholic convert, he will not participate in the “politicization of the pope game.”

“I’m sure he’ll say a lot of things that I enjoy. I’m sure he’ll say some things I disagree with, but I’ll continue to pray for him and the Church despite and through it all, and that’s how I’ll handle it.”

Explaining that he understands “the Church is so much bigger than politics,” Vance told Fox News, “There are many views held by the Catholic leadership that you might consider on the right side of the spectrum.” They will have several beliefs that are typically on the left side of the political spectrum. And then there are a lot of opinions that don’t transfer well to politics at all.”

“I think it would be better for all of us if we allowed the Church to be about the saving of souls and didn’t try to fit it into a pre-ordained political box,” the pontiff said.

Etiquette for meeting the Pontiff

On Sunday, May 18, following his first service, Pope Leo XIV met with dignitaries, who had always been required to observe well-established protocols when seeing the pope.

According to MetroWest, appropriate manners involve

Wait patiently for the introduction.

Speak only when spoken to, and address the pope as “Your Holiness.”

Dress conservatively (suits and ties for males, modest clothing for ladies).

There will be no touching apart from a handshake, unless the pope requests differently.

But when Vance met Leo for the first time, instead of following papal protocol, he startled observers with a gesture that has now gone viral for all the wrong reasons.

‘Cringey’

Vance, no stranger to Vatican drama following previous disagreements with Pope Francis over Trump-era immigration policy, did not fly alone this time. His wife, Usha Vance, was at his side in Rome, as was US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who arrived early to kick off delicate peace talks between Russia and Ukraine.

Following an apparently respectable greeting and a few polite remarks, Vance leaned out and offered Pope Leo a casual pat on the elbow, which some have later described as “cringey.”

Social media quickly lit up with reactions.

“Why on earth is [Vance] caressing the Pope’s shoulder?” It’s a terrible breach of protocol,” tweets one person.

A second person writes, “He touched the Pope. “I don’t think you should do that.”

A third netizen, observing the pope’s uneasy shrug as Vance and his wife walked away, wrote, “Did the pope flinch as Vance left? That casual gripping of the Pope’s arm as if they were pals was cringeworthy. Show some respect.

“Vance appears to assume the Pope is his barroom mate, reaching out and patting the Pope’s elbow. As Vance goes away, the Pope indicated that he does not like it,” added a fourth.

The author of “Hillbilly Elegy” states, “That low-class hillbilly…no class or manners, just a hillbilly…”

“After the Vances move on, the look of disgust on Leo’s face is unmistakable,” said another.