Pope Leo XIV on Monday welcomed US Vice President, JD Vance and US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio at the Vatican, just a day after his historic inauguration mass as the new pontiff.
Naijaonpoint reports that the Vatican shared photographs of the meeting, showing Vance and Rubio smiling as they engaged with Pope Leo XIV, who was elected as the head of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics on May 8.
The audience lasted for 45 minutes, according to a spokesperson for the Vice President.
Following the meeting with the Pope, Vance held cordial talks with the Holy See’s Secretary for Relations with States, Paul Richard Gallagher.
The Vatican’s official statement highlighted the “satisfaction at the good bilateral relations” between the United States and the Vatican, noting that discussions also touched on collaboration between the Church and State, as well as matters concerning ecclesial life and religious freedom.
The Vatican statement further detailed that Vance and Rubio exchanged views on several current international issues. They emphasised the importance of respecting humanitarian and international law in conflict zones and called for negotiated solutions between parties involved in these areas.
Both Vance and Rubio, who are devout Catholics, were part of the 200,000 dignitaries, royals, and faithful gathered in St. Peter’s Square on Sunday to celebrate the formal beginning of Pope Leo XIV’s papacy. Following the mass, the dignitaries queued to shake hands with the new Pope.
Before his papacy, Leo XIV had used his personal 𝕏 account to criticize US President Donald Trump’s administration, particularly its stance on migration. He also criticised Vance, which drew attention to the contrast in political views between the Pope and the Vice President.
However, Vance, who converted to Catholicism in 2019, emphasised Sunday that the United States is “very proud” of Pope Leo XIV’s election. “Certainly, our prayers go with him as he starts this very important work,” Vance said during a meeting with EU chief Ursula von der Leyen and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.