Mike Pence stokes backlash for calling Pope Francis ‘Holy Father’

Former Vice President Mike Pence drew criticism over the weekend for a Friday X post in which he referred to Pope Francis as “the Holy Father,” prompting some to accuse him of affirming Roman Catholicism despite being an outspoken Evangelical Protestant.

“One of my greatest honors as Vice President was the hour I spent with Pope Francis at the Vatican in January 2020,” Pence tweeted. “[Karen Pence] and I join Catholics around the world Praying for this humble and godly man. God Bless the Holy Father.”

Pope Francis remains at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital recovering from double pneumonia. According to the Vatican, he remained in stable condition and did not require any mechanical ventilation Sunday, though he suffered two episodes of “acute respiratory failure” on Monday.

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Pence was raised Roman Catholic but later left the Catholic Church to become an Evangelical when he was in college, according to a profile in The New York Times.

One of my greatest honors as Vice President was the hour I spent with Pope Francis at the Vatican in January 2020. @KarenPence and I join Catholics around the world Praying for this humble and godly man. God Bless the Holy Father???? pic.twitter.com/4TNWQi9Ksq

— Mike Pence (@Mike_Pence) March 1, 2025

“‘Holy Father’?? Remember when the evangelical establishment chided us all about not giving the seriousness of Pence’s Protestant faith due respect…,” tweeted author and Daily Wire reporter Megan Basham.

John Shelton, who serves as policy director at the nonprofit Americans Advancing Freedom, founded by Pence, defended him in response to Basham.

“‘Holy Father’ is a standard address for official US communiques to/concerning the pope regardless of denomination (see below for Reagan, Bush, and multiple Protestant secretaries of state),” Shelton wrote. “If this upsets you, you should start a petition to change it or something.”

Basham replied that she believes Protestants such as Pence can respect the diplomatic status of the papal office without affirming Roman Catholic doctrine.

“I don’t think a petition is necessary. I think Protestants should simply respect the office by calling him by his appropriate title—Pope Francis—without using terminology that entirely conflicts with Protestant doctrine,” she said. “Thus, no, Reagan, Bush, and Pompeo should not have done it either—unless they consider their government positions more important [than] adhering to the tenets of their faith.”

Tom Buck, who serves as senior pastor at First Baptist Church of Lindale, Texas, wrote that Pence could have urged prayer for the pope without affirming his ecclesiastical title.

“Pence is distorting the Gospel in multiple ways! We can pray for the pope without perverting the Gospel,” Buck argued. “He isn’t humble but is full of pride to call himself the head of the church and usurp that role from Christ. He’s not godly because he denies salvation by grace alone through faith alone and actively works to send hundreds of thousands to Hell with him. And he’s not a holy father, that title belongs to God alone.”

Justin Peters, who heads a worldwide expository preaching and teaching ministry, also criticized Pence for his post.

“I have heard from people in my theological circles that you were truly a Christian. You even attended a church pastored by a friend of mine,” he wrote. “To see you affirm Roman Catholicism and say the man who thinks he is Head of the Church and the Vicar (substitute) of Christ on earth is sad. And there is only One Holy Father – the Ancient of Days.”

Multiple users quoted Matthew 23:9, which says, “Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven.”

Pence’s papal tweet came the same day he drew backlash for tweeting an op-ed by the Editorial Board of the Wall Street Journal titled “Putin Wins the Trump-Zelensky Oval Office Spectacle.”

Republican strategist Andrew Surabian suggested that Pence would not have joined Trump in standing up to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky like Vice President JD Vance did during their tense Oval Office meeting last week.

“I see that the WSJ Ed Board and Mike Pence are both very upset that Trump-Vance defended America and stood up for peace between Ukraine and Russia. We all know that if Pence were in the room, he would have been on his hands and knees worshiping the ground Zelensky walks on,” he wrote.

Donald Trump Jr. wrote simply, “Has there ever been a bigger upgrade in political history than going from Mike Pence to JD Vance?”

Has there ever been a bigger upgrade in political history than going from Mike Pence to JD Vance? https://t.co/FLt3RQ6dh4

— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) March 2, 2025

Pence was the first candidate to drop out of the 2024 Republican primary and declined to endorse Trump when he became the nominee, citing “profound differences.”