US Vice President JD Vance met with Pope Leo XIV, the first U.S.-born leader of the global Catholic Church, at the Vatican this Monday. The Vice President extended an official invitation for Pope Leo to visit the United States, a gesture that comes amidst ongoing discussions about international relations and the Church’s stance on immigration policies.
Vance, once criticized by the late Pope Francis for the Trump administration’s immigration policies, handed Pope Leo a letter which he claimed to be from President Trump and First Lady Melania, extending an invitation for a visit to the White House. The White House later confirmed the invitation, expressing a desire for the Pope’s visit to take place as soon as possible.
Reports indicate that during the meeting, Pope Leo, seated at his official desk in the Vatican’s apostolic palace, received the letter and was heard to respond, “at some point.” The Vatican is yet to comment on the invitation.
The Vatican’s readout confirmed the meeting between Vance and Pope Leo but refrained from disclosing details about their discussion. A spokesperson for Vance stated that the meeting was initially one-on-one, but was later joined by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who also shares the Catholic faith.
According to reliable sources, as a part of this meeting, Vance presented Pope Leo with a navy blue and orange jersey of the Chicago Bears, a popular U.S. football team. The jersey was personalized with “Pope Leo” and the number “XIV.”
Born in Chicago, Pope Leo, formerly known as Cardinal Robert Prevost, was elected as pope on May 8 and is relatively new to the global stage. The late Pope Francis, a champion of immigrants and the poor, had previously criticized the Trump administration’s immigration policies. Vance had a brief meeting with Francis on Easter Sunday, just a day before the pontiff’s death.
Following the meeting with Pope Leo, Vance met officials at the Vatican’s Secretariat of State, the Church’s top diplomatic office. The Vatican described these talks as “cordial” and noted that there was an exchange of views on current international issues requiring respect for humanitarian and international law.
The significance of this should not be overlooked. Pope Leo is not expected to make his US visit anytime soon. His first foreign trip as Pope is likely to be to Turkey, coinciding with the 1,700th anniversary of an early Church council.
As the world waits for Pope Leo’s response to the White House invitation, we are reminded of the importance of diplomacy and dialogue in these challenging times.