US Vice President JD Vance visited the Vatican on an official meeting to meet senior Catholic Church officials. However, Pope Francis skipped out on the official meeting and sent his deputy instead for a lecture on compassion as per the Vatican statement. Facing sharp criticism on the policies, the administration conducted the first in-person talks under the Trump presidency.
Vance was in conversation with Cardinal Pietro Parolin. There was dialogue on the tensions over US immigration crackdown and an “exchange of opinions” over current international conflicts, migrants and prisoners. JD Vance, a catholic himself, met with the Cardinal as the Pope was absent from official duties during his recovery from pneumonia. Although, he met with King Charles and Queen Camilla when they visited the Vatican last week.
It was an honor to visit the Vatican during Holy Week, and a blessing to experience the beauty and reverence of the Good Friday liturgy at St. Peter's Basilica. pic.twitter.com/L3LBlkNgmJ
— Vice President JD Vance (@VP) April 19, 2025
Though there was no mention of Vance’s meeting with the Pope in the official statement, he said that there were discussions on the Catholicism in the US. They deliberated on the issue of persecuted Christians in the world and of “President Trump‘s commitment to restoring world peace” as per Bloomberg reports.
Furthermore, the Vatican has always had a strong opinion on Trump’s policies. Pope Francis has repeated rebutted the President’s deportation steps calling it a “disgrace” and “grave sin”. In January of 2025, Vance was amidst a tussle with the US Conference of the Catholic Bishops after suggesting they helped “resettle illegal immigrants” and secure funding.
As JD Vance prepares to visit India on April 21, he is currently in Rome to meeting Italian PM Meloni with his family. This global move might be a statement to the ongoing US-China trade war in light of Trump’s tariff tantrum as discussions on economic, trade and geopolitical ties will be underway.
