JD Vance and Pope Francis have previously sparred over the latter’s condemnation of the Trump administration’s sweeping immigration crackdown
The exchange lasted a few minutes, where Vance thanked the Pope for seeing him as they exchanged Easter greetings. (Image: Getty Images)
U.S. Vice President JD Vance met the late Pope Francis on Easter Sunday, a day before he passed away, amid their ongoing feud that began when the Pope condemned the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown.
Vance, a Catholic convert, spent Easter weekend in Rome with his family. He attended Good Friday services in St. Peter’s Basilica after meeting with Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni on Friday.
He was scheduled to meet with the Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, and later met the Pope for a few minutes in a hotel reception room where the Pope was staying while recovering from pneumonia.
Vance met the Pope for a few minutes to exchange Easter greetings. (Image: VATICAN MEDIA/AFP via Getty Imag)
The Pope, 88, offered the VP three large chocolate Easter eggs for the Vance children, a Vatican tie, and rosaries.
The exchange lasted a few minutes, during which Vance thanked the Pope for seeing him and exchanged Easter greetings.
The duo has publicly disagreed in the past over a multitude of issues, primarily the immigration crisis.
Pope Francis was sharply critical of the sweeping immigration crackdown by President Donald Trump’s officials. He wrote a letter to U.S. bishops in February, warning that the forceful removal of migrants deprives them of their inherent dignity and “will end badly.”
Furthermore, the Pope stated that deporting migrants “places them in a state of particular vulnerability and defenselessness.”
Citing the Book of Exodus and Jesus’ own experience, Francis said people have a right to seek shelter and safety in other lands and described the deportation plan as a “major crisis.”
“What is built on the basis of force, and not on the truth about the equal dignity of every human being, begins badly and will end badly,” he said.
However, Vance defended the administration’s actions on immigration policy, doubling down that the “stay in Mexico” and family separation policies are justified by love and the order of love.
The latter became a point of contention as the duo disagreed on interpreting Catholic social doctrine, especially the concept of “ordo amoris,” which translates to the order of love. Vance added that the America-first crackdown follows the concept of caring for one’s family first, followed by neighbors, community, fellow citizens, and later for others.
The Pope refuted Vance’s interpretation of the concept. While he did not refer to Vance by name, he said, “Christians know very well that it is only by affirming the infinite dignity of all that our own identity as persons and as communities reaches its maturity.”
“Christian love is not a concentric expansion of interests that little by little extend to other persons and groups. In other words, the human person is not a mere individual, relatively expansive, with some philanthropic feelings! The human person is a subject with dignity who, through the constitutive relationship with all, especially with the poorest, can gradually mature in his identity and vocation,” The New Republic quoted the pope at the time.
Vance acknowledged the Pope’s criticism but stated that he would continue to defend his views, even referring to himself as a “baby Catholic” who is unaware of certain “things about the faith.”
A day after their meeting, Vance took to X to offer his condolences.
“I just learned of the passing of Pope Francis. My heart goes out to the millions of Christians all over the world who loved him. I was happy to see him yesterday, though he was obviously very ill. But I’ll always remember him for the below homily he gave in the very early days of COVID. It was really quite beautiful. May God rest his soul,” posted the vice president.
