Vice President JD Vance Uses Medieval Catholic Concept "Ordo Amoris" to Justify Immigration Policies

Vice President JD Vance Invokes 'Ordo Amoris' to Defend Immigration Policies

In a recent post on the social media platform X, Vice President JD Vance invoked the medieval Catholic concept of "ordo amoris" to defend President Donald Trump's approach to immigration. On January 30, Vance encouraged followers to look up the term, offering it as a rationale for his stance on prioritizing domestic over foreign concerns.

Vance's comments were sparked by criticism after an interview on Fox News, where he outlined his view that individuals should prioritize love and responsibility, beginning with their family and extending outward to their community, fellow citizens, and, finally, the broader world. He argued that the "far left" has inappropriately reversed this natural order of love, placing international concerns above the well-being of one's immediate circle.

According to Vance, the principle of "ordo amoris" aligns with “basic common sense,” asserting that moral duties to one's family should supersede obligations to distant strangers. This concept traces its roots to medieval theology, particularly the works of St. Augustine, who defined it as the "order of love" or "order of charity." Augustine argued that each person should love others appropriately, with a hierarchy of affections.

Augustine’s writings emphasized that one should not love things or people disproportionately, and that love must be directed according to the closeness of the relationship. In his view, duties to immediate family or those nearby take precedence over those to strangers or more distant individuals. He believed that while all people should be loved equally in principle, the practical application of this love should reflect the circumstances in which one finds oneself.

Later, St. Thomas Aquinas elaborated on this concept, noting that while individuals ought to be most beneficent toward those closest to them, the specifics of time, place, or need might sometimes justify a different approach. For example, one might have an obligation to help a stranger in dire need even if it means temporarily prioritizing them over a family member, provided the situation demands it.

The Catholic Church’s modern catechism refers to the "order of charity" briefly, reiterating the moral duty to love one's parents, honor their citizenship, and care for society, while also extending love beyond immediate circles.

By referencing “ordo amoris,” Vice President Vance draws on a theological tradition that emphasizes a structured, prioritized approach to love and duty. This, in turn, underpins his argument for immigration policies that prioritize national and familial concerns over international ones.