"Meeting Pope Francis just a day before his death was a blessing, and I feel lucky" – U.S. Vice President JD Vance

"Meeting Pope Francis just a day before his death was a blessing, and I feel lucky" – U.S. Vice President JD Vance
Rome, Vatican – April 24, 2025

According to a Reuters report, U.S. Vice President JD Vance has downplayed political differences between the Trump administration and the late Pope Francis, calling his meeting with the Pope just a day before his passing “a blessing.”

On Sunday morning, Vance had a brief meeting with Pope Francis at the Vatican during his visit to Italy. The Pope passed away the following day.

Vance said, “I was thinking that I was probably one of the last officials to meet him before he passed away. It’s amazing to think about. When I saw him, I didn’t know he had only about 24 hours left. It was truly a great blessing.” He further added, “I told him that I pray for him every day — which is true, I did, and I still do.”

Pope Francis had been a vocal critic of U.S. President Donald Trump’s immigration policies, calling them “disgraceful” prior to Trump’s inauguration in 2017.

However, Vance stated that he does not wish to dwell on those differences. “I know he disagreed with some of our administration’s policies. But he also agreed with a lot of them. I don’t want to dishonor the legacy of the Pope by getting into politics,” said Vance.

Regarding the future of the papacy, Vance said, “I won’t try to give guidance to the Cardinals on who they should choose as the next Pope. We have a lot of issues to focus on in our own country. I’ll just offer a prayer that they make the right decision and choose someone who will be good for Catholics around the world.”