Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) speaks during a news conference after a policy luncheon on Capitol Hill, Tuesday, April 14, 2026, in Washington.via Associated Press

Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) rebuked Vice President JD Vance`s recent comments about Pope Leo XIV on Wednesday, saying that Vance should stay focused on his governmental duties and leave the church alone.

Vance, a Catholic convert, made the head-turning comments during a Turning Point USA event in Georgia on Tuesday.

"I think it`s very, very important for the pope to be careful when he talks about matters of theology," Vance said, discussing the pope`s recent criticism of the war in Iran, which has also prompted several vitriolic responses from President Donald Trump.

Speaking with Punchbowl News`s Andrew Desiderio on Wednesday, Thune poked at the vice president`s attempt to caution the leader of the Catholic Church about "matters of theology."

"Isn`t that his job?" Thune said, referring to the pope.

As for Vance, Thune added, "I`d stay focused on... the economic issues, pocketbook issues that most Americans care about. And let the church be the church."

Trump began attacking the pope during a late-night posting spree on Sunday night, calling him "WEAK on crime."

"I don`t want a Pope who criticizes the President of the United States because I`m doing exactly what I was elected, IN A LANDSLIDE, to do, setting Record Low Numbers in Crime, and creating the Greatest Stock Market in History," Trump wrote on Truth Social. "Leo should be thankful because, as everyone knows, he was a shocking surprise."

Thune had previously criticized Trump`s attacks on the pope, saying on Monday, "I would leave the church alone."

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By: Anthony Orrico