Joshua Bennett
The current Vice President of the United States, J.D. Vance, is Catholic. He was baptised and confirmed in the Catholic Church at the age of 35. In a 2020 article in The Lamp, Vance reflected on his conversion as a process that occurred slowly and unevenly over several years. He has also stated that his views on public policy are pretty aligned with Catholic social teaching.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name | J.D. Vance |
| Age | 39 |
| Political Party | Republican |
| Religion | Catholic convert |
| Catholic Church | St. Gertrude's, a Dominican priory in Cincinnati |
| Conversion Age | 35 |
| Conversion Inspiration | Grandmother, "Mamaw" |
| Previous Religion | Atheist |
| Education | Law degree from Yale |
| Military Service | Four years in the Marines |
| Political Career | Senator |
| Political Views | Social conservatism |
| Policy Views | Pro-life, pro-peace |
| Vice Presidential Running Mate | Donald Trump |
| Spouse's Religion | Wife, Usha, is a practicing Hindu |
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What You'll Learn
J.D. Vance is the US' second Catholic vice president
J.D. Vance is the United States' second Catholic vice president. He is a Republican and was Donald Trump's running mate in the 2024 election. Before entering politics, Vance served in the Marines for four years and attained the rank of corporal. He also worked as a journalist during the Iraq War.
Vance was born in Middletown, Ohio, and grew up in a poor household. He has written about his childhood, marked by poverty and abuse, and his mother's drug addiction. Despite these challenges, he joined the military after graduating from Middletown High School in 2003. He then used the G.I. Bill to study at Ohio State University, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 2009. He went on to attend Yale Law School, where he obtained his Juris Doctor degree in 2013.
After graduating from law school, Vance worked as a corporate lawyer and a venture capitalist before entering politics. He was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2022, representing Ohio from 2023 to 2025. During his time in the Senate, he championed issues such as border security, American manufacturing, and supporting working-class families. He also opposed abortion, same-sex marriage, and gun control.
In July 2024, Trump selected Vance as his running mate, and they won the 2024 presidential election. As a Catholic, Vance has acknowledged the influence of Catholic theology on his sociopolitical positions. He has described the Catholic Church as a technology that has guided his politics, with a focus on protecting life and respecting the dignity of American workers.
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He converted to Catholicism in 2019
In 2019, J.D. Vance, the newly appointed vice president, converted to Catholicism. He was baptised and confirmed in the Catholic Church at the age of 35, in 2019. Before his conversion, Vance considered himself an atheist. However, he began to develop an inclination towards Christianity and, in particular, Catholicism. In a 2020 essay in The Lamp journal, he reflected on his conversion, stating that it was a process that occurred "slowly and unevenly" over several years. He also acknowledged the influence of his grandmother, whom he described as "a woman of deep, but completely de-institutionalized, faith".
Vance's conversion to Catholicism has been a topic of interest, especially given his position in politics. In an interview with "EWTN News Nightly" in November 2022, Vance highlighted the history and richness of the Catholic faith as guiding forces in his political journey. He also expressed alignment between his views on public policy and Catholic social teachings.
Vance's friend, James Orr, a professor at Cambridge University, described his Catholicism as "an unqualified advantage" for his role as vice president. Orr emphasised that while Vance's Catholicism might influence the administration's policy platform, he believed that Vance would not force policies to conform to his private Catholic convictions.
Vance's Catholic faith has sparked discussions about the role of religion in politics and the potential impact on policy-making. Some have cautioned him against too tightly embracing post-liberalism, a Catholic-inspired political approach that emphasises communal good over individual liberty. Nonetheless, as a Christian in public life, Vance has acknowledged that his views may not always align with those of the Catholic bishops, but he aims to articulate his thoughts on navigating his faith and public service.
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He has clashed with bishops over migration
Kamala Harris, the first woman and the first person of Black and South Asian descent to become vice president, has made history. Her faith has been the subject of some discussion and speculation, particularly in the context of her views on migration and how they contrast with those of Catholic bishops. While Harris is not a Catholic, her views on migration and refugee policies have clashed with those of the Catholic Church and its bishops. The Vice President has been an advocate for a more welcoming and inclusive immigration policy, which is at odds with the more restrictive approach favored by some Catholic bishops.
Harris has been vocal about her support for migrants and refugees, arguing for a more humane and compassionate approach to immigration. She has criticized the hard-line policies of the Trump administration, such as family separations at the US-Mexico border, and has called for comprehensive immigration reform. The Vice President's stance is informed by her own background as the daughter of immigrants and her understanding of the contributions that immigrants make to American society.
In contrast, some Catholic bishops in the US have advocated for stricter immigration controls and a more selective approach to refugee resettlement. They have expressed concerns about the impact of uncontrolled migration on receiving communities and have called for a greater emphasis on helping people in their home countries. This stance has been criticized by some as being at odds with the Catholic teachings on welcoming the stranger and showing solidarity with the most vulnerable.
The clash between Harris and the Catholic bishops over migration highlights a broader tension between religious and political leaders on the best approach to immigration policy. It also underscores the complexity of the issue, which involves balancing concerns for national security and border control with humanitarian considerations and respect for human rights.
While the Catholic Church's teachings on migration start from a position of welcoming the stranger and protecting the vulnerable, the bishops' concerns also reflect a practical consideration of how best to manage migration in a way that is orderly and safe for all involved. Finding a middle ground between these perspectives remains a challenge, but one that is crucial to addressing the global migration crisis in a way that upholds the dignity and rights of all people.
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He has said his politics are guided by Catholic faith
J.D. Vance, the newly elected vice president, is a Catholic. At 39, he is the second-youngest member of the U.S. Senate and was baptized and confirmed in the Catholic Church at the age of 35. Before his conversion, he considered himself an atheist. In a 2020 article in The Lamp, titled "On Mamaw and Becoming Catholic," he reflected on his conversion as a process that occurred "slowly and unevenly" over several years. He has said that his gradual journey to the faith was inspired by his grandmother, whom he describes as "a woman of deep, but completely de-institutionalized, faith."
Vance has been quite vocal about his Catholic faith and its influence on his politics. In a November 2022 interview with "EWTN News Nightly", he described the history and richness of the Catholic faith as the forces that guide his politics. He said, "one of the great takeaways of the Catholic tradition is that you both have a public policy that protects life and also respects the dignity of the American worker." Additionally, in 2019, he told The American Conservative, "My views on public policy and what the optimal state should look like are pretty aligned with Catholic social teaching."
Vance's friend, James Orr, an associate professor of philosophy of religion at Cambridge University, described his Catholicism as "an unqualified advantage" for the vice presidential toolkit. Orr believes that while Vance's Catholicism will influence the administration's policy platform, he will not direct everything to conform to his private Catholic convictions. He said, "I doubt there would be any policies he would endorse that don't have publicly justifiable reasons—that he couldn't make a purely rational, agnostic, secular case for in the public square."
Vance's Catholic faith has been a topic of discussion, especially in light of his role as vice president and the potential impact on policy-making. Some have cautioned him against too tightly embracing post-liberalism, a Catholic-inspired approach emphasizing communal good over individual liberty. However, others, like his friend Rod Dreher, have defended his convictions and the role his faith may play in his vice presidency.
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He is Donald Trump's running mate
J.D. Vance is Donald Trump's running mate for the 2024 election. At 39 years old, he is the second-youngest member of the U.S. Senate, having taken office in 2023. He is a Catholic convert, having been baptized and confirmed in the Catholic Church at the age of 35. In a 2020 article in The Lamp, Vance reflected on his conversion as a process that occurred "slowly and unevenly" over several years. He cited his grandmother, "Mamaw", as an inspiration for his conversion, describing her as "a woman of deep, but completely de-institutionalized, faith".
Vance has spoken about how his Catholic faith guides his politics. In a November 2022 interview, he stated that "one of the great takeaways of the Catholic tradition is that you both have a public policy that protects life and also respects the dignity of the American worker". His friend, James Orr, a professor of the philosophy of religion at Cambridge University, described Vance's Catholicism as "an unqualified advantage" for the vice-presidential toolkit.
Vance has also addressed the potential conflict between his role as vice president and his Catholic faith, given the separation of church and state in the US. Orr has argued that while Vance's Catholicism will influence the administration's policy platform, he does not believe that Vance will direct everything to conform to his private Catholic convictions. He stated that he does not imagine there would be any policies that Vance would endorse that could not be justified on purely rational, agnostic, secular grounds.
Vance's Catholic faith has been a notable aspect of his political career, and it will be interesting to see how it continues to shape his role as vice president in the new Trump administration.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, J.D. Vance is Catholic. He converted to Catholicism in 2019, inspired by his grandmother, whom he describes as "a woman of deep, but completely de-institutionalized, faith."
J.D. Vance's Catholicism is expected to have a "levelling effect" on the new administration's policy platform. However, it is unlikely that he will direct everything to conform to his private Catholic convictions.
J.D. Vance has stated that his views on public policy are "pretty aligned" with Catholic social teaching. He has also said that one of the great takeaways of the Catholic tradition is the importance of both protecting life and respecting the dignity of the American worker.
J.D. Vance's Catholicism has been described by his friend, James Orr, as "an unqualified advantage" for the vice presidential toolkit. However, less than a week after taking office, Vance clashed with the top American leaders of his church, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, accusing them of resettling "illegal immigrants" to receive federal funding.
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