Vice President JD Vance and White House border czar Tom Homan issued public criticisms of Catholic Church leadership this week, marking a notable tension between the Trump administration and the Vatican.

Vance stated that Pope Francis should "be careful with words" following the pontiff's critique of Iran policy. The vice president's comments came as part of broader administration pushback against papal statements on foreign policy matters.

Separately, Homan told reporters Tuesday that the Catholic Church should avoid involvement in immigration issues. "I love the Catholic Church," Homan said. "I just wish they'd stick to fixing the church because there's issues."

The officials' statements followed President Trump's criticism of the Pope on social media platforms. The president had previously expressed disagreement with Vatican positions on various policy matters.

The Catholic Church has historically taken positions on immigration and foreign policy issues, viewing them as matters of social justice and humanitarian concern. Church leadership has not immediately responded to the latest criticism from administration officials.

The exchange highlights ongoing tensions between the Trump administration and religious institutions that have taken policy positions at odds with White House initiatives.