Vice President JD Vance met with senior Catholic Church officials at the Vatican, including Pope Francis, during the Easter holiday weekend. Francis, who is recovering from bilateral pneumonia, blessed the crowds at St. Peter’s Square after meeting briefly with Vance and exchanging Easter greetings. Vance, a Catholic, has clashed with the Pope over the Trump administration’s immigration policies. Despite their differences, Vance and his family attended a Good Friday service at St. Peter’s Basilica.
During the meeting, Vance discussed immigration policies with Vatican officials, including Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. The Pope has criticized the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown as a “disgrace.” Vance, on the other hand, believes in prioritizing citizens of his own country before focusing on the rest of the world.
For Pope Francis, the meeting with Vance and the Easter Sunday appearance marked another step in his recovery from a serious bout of pneumonia. Doctors at one point considered halting treatment to allow him to die peacefully, but he fought through with the support of his medical team. Despite setbacks, including a polymicrobial infection and mild renal insufficiency, Francis has returned to work on a shortened schedule since being released from the hospital.
Overall, the meeting between Vice President Vance and Pope Francis at the Vatican highlighted their differences on immigration policies but also provided an opportunity for dialogue and exchange of ideas on important issues facing the world today.
