Vice President JD Vance met with Pope Francis at the Vatican on Sunday morning, a day after speaking with the Vatican’s second-highest official.
The brief meeting was described as a “opportunity to exchange Easter greetings” by Vatican News. The gathering come after Francis and the White House indirectly exchanged words in recent months over President Donald Trump‘s immigration policies.
On Saturday, Vance had a meeting with Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin. The Vatican characterized the talks as “cordial” but did note there was “an exchange of opinions” on various matters “especially regarding countries affected by war, political tensions and difficult humanitarian situations, with particular attention to migrants, refugees, and prisoners.”
The vice president’s office said the two “discussed their shared religious faith, Catholicism in the United States, the plight of persecuted Christian communities around the world, and President [Donald] Trump’s commitment to restoring world peace.”
Vance, who converted to Catholicism in 2019, has also met with Italian leaders, including Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, as he visits Italy and Vatican City during the holiest time of the Christian calendar. He is expected to visit India as the next part of his international trip.
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For Pope Francis, Easter was a grand return to the public after his extended health battles in the early months of 2025. He took to the crowds in his “popemobile” to greet people who had gathered.
The pope was hospitalized for 38 days earlier this year with various health complications, being released to Vatican City and making his first public appearance at the end of March. He did not attend services for Good Friday and Holy Saturday, but did make an appearance on Sunday for Easter.
