The Caller’s Question:

Tyler from Santa Barbara phoned into The Patrick Madrid Show with a simple but important question:

“Why didn’t Vice President JD Vance kiss Pope Leo’s ring?”

Patrick’s Take: Not a Sin, Just a Skip

Patrick handled it with his usual blend of insight, clarity, and wisdom. Here’s the gist:

There are diplomatic protocols at play when you're dealing with heads of state. JD Vance, while not a head of state himself, is pretty high up there, so formalities might have been planned in advance.

Kissing the pope’s ring isn’t required. It’s a beautiful tradition, yes, but not a divine commandment. It came about in the Middle Ages. So, Vance skipping it is not a sin. Not disrespectful. Just… not traditional.

Giving Grace

Patrick gently reminded us:

JD Vance is a new convert to Catholicism. He didn’t grow up in Catholic culture, so ring-kissing might be unfamiliar or even feel a bit odd to him.

He’s from a very humble, rural background, and some of his choices may still reflect that down-to-earth, “no-frills” sensibility. 

The American Factor

Patrick also pointed out a larger cultural angle:

The U.S. has a strong anti-aristocracy streak, going way back. That “no kings, no crowns” mindset could subtly influence even how Catholic leaders act, especially on the world stage.

There's still anti-Catholic sentiment in parts of the U.S., and Vance may have wanted to avoid fueling any fire or being seen as overly deferential to a “foreign prince.”