Vatican: U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance and Pope Francis Exchange Greetings on Easter Sunday
Vatican City, April 20, 2025 (Reuters)
U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance and Pope Francis met for a brief private meeting at the Vatican on Easter Sunday morning. The Vatican issued a statement saying that the meeting was primarily held for the exchange of Easter greetings.
The meeting took place at the Pope's residence in Vatican and lasted only a few minutes. Afterward, Pope Francis appeared on the open Pope Mobile in St. Peter's Square, where he exchanged Easter greetings with thousands of devout Christian followers gathered there.
Pope's Criticism of Trump Administration Policies, Disagreement with Vance
Vance, a Catholic Christian who converted to Christianity in 2019, has differences with Pope Francis due to his support for former U.S. President Donald Trump’s immigration policies. Pope Francis has been highly critical of the Trump administration’s plans to deport millions of immigrants from the U.S. and drastically cut foreign aid and domestic welfare programs. He described these policies as “shameful.”
J.D. Vance, supporting these immigration policies, has quoted medieval Catholic theology to justify his stance. In response, Pope Francis wrote an open letter to U.S. Catholic bishops, urging them, “No, you must think of all people, not just those around you.” Pope Francis has described Trump’s immigration policies as a "grave crisis" for the U.S.
Further Discussions at the Vatican, but Pope Absent
Vance and his family are currently on a trip to Italy. As part of the visit, he held official meetings on Saturday with Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican’s Secretary of State, and Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, the Secretary for Relations with States. However, Pope Francis was absent from these discussions as he is still recovering from double pneumonia.
This meeting between Pope Francis and J.D. Vance is seen as an important moment in the relationship between the Vatican and the U.S. administration. Despite disagreements on religion, politics, and human rights, the exchange of greetings sends a message of respect and dialogue between the two sides.
