Jesuit James Martin has contradicted the Vice President's assertion on "X"that Christians should only focus on the "rest of the world" as the very last thing they should do. "This misses the point of Jesus' parable of the Good Samaritan," wrote Martin.
In an interview with "Fox News", Vance had said that it is a Christian view "to love your family first, then your neighbour, then your local community, then your fellow citizens, and only then to prioritise the rest of the world".
Many on the left have "completely reversed this".
Helping those who are different or foreign
Martin pointed out that Jesus' parable was in response to a lawyer's question about who his neighbour was.
"In response, Jesus tells the story of a Jewish man who has been beaten up by robbers and is lying on the side of the road. The man is not helped by those closest to him (a 'priest' and a 'Levite'), but by a Samaritan. At that time, Jews and Samaritans regarded each other as enemies," says Martin.
The fundamental message of Jesus is that every person is our neighbour and that it is not just about helping our own families or those who are close to us: "It is precisely about helping those who appear different, strange and other. They are all our 'neighbours'."
What the parable is about can be understood particularly from the perspective of the man who is being helped: "Our salvation ultimately depends, as with this man, on those we often regard as 'strangers'."
J. D. Vance is the second Catholic US Vice President after Joe Biden.
The politician, who grew up in an evangelical community, converted to the Catholic faith in 2019.
In the government of US President Donald Trump, there are some conservative Catholics are represented.
At the weekend, Vance sharply attacked the US bishops for their stance on migration.