Pope Francis held a private encounter Sunday morning at the Vatican with the United States Vice President JD Vanceaccording to the Holy See in an official statement. Vance, Catholic convert and known for his disagreements with the Pontiff regarding the immigration policies of former president Donald Trump, visited the Pope in his residence to exchange greetings on the occasion of Easter.
“Pope Francis held a brief private encounter, of just a few minutesto exchange good wishes on Easter Day, ”said the statement. After the celebration of the Pascual Mass, the Pontiff went to the faithful gathered in the Plaza de San Pedro from his papamóvil.
The US Vice President’s office confirmed the meeting through a brief statement, Without offering additional details. Vance, who is visiting Italy with his family, also held formal meetings on Saturday with senior Vatican officials. The Pope, who continues to recover from double pneumonia, did not participate in those conversations. It should be remembered that both the Pope and Vatican diplomacy have firmly criticized various policies implemented during the Trump administration, including plans to deport millions of migrants and generalized cuts to foreign aid and social welfare programs.
Francisco described these measures of immigration repression as a “shame”. Vance, converted to Catholicism in 2019, has resorted to medieval teachings of the Church to justify these policies. In an unusual open letter addressed to US Catholic bishops in February, Pope refuted the theological argument wielded by Vance and described Trump’s plan as “a serious crisis” for the United States.
