JD Vance and Pope Francis Share Brief Meeting in Rome

Pope Francis briefly met with U.S. Vice President JD Vance at his hotel on Sunday as Vance and his family celebrated Easter in Rome. According to AP, Vance’s motorcade entered the Vatican City through a side gate and parked near the Pope’s hotel while Easter Mass was being held in St. Peter’s Square nearby. Due to his reduced workload to recover from illness, Francis delegated the Mass celebration to another cardinal. A statement from the Vatican confirmed the private encounter between Pope Francis and Vance, where they exchanged good wishes for Easter. No further details about the meeting were disclosed.

Vance, who became a Catholic in 2019, also met with the Vatican’s secretary of state and foreign minister on Saturday. Before Trump’s presidency, Pope Francis criticized the administration’s mass deportation of illegal immigrants. As reported by Breitbart News, the Pope surprised everyone by appearing for Easter Sunday blessings at St. Peter’s Square in the Vatican. It was uncertain if the 88-year-old pontiff would attend the Holy Week gathering after his recent hospitalization for an infection that resulted in double pneumonia.