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Pope Sends Deputy to Lecture Vance on Compassion at Vatican

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Key Meeting at the Vatican

Vice President J.D. Vance met with Cardinal Pietro Parolin, not Pope Francis himself, at the Vatican. The meeting focused on the international situation, particularly concerning war-torn countries and humanitarian crises, with an emphasis on migrants, refugees, and prisoners. The Vatican statement called for serene collaboration between the White House and the US Catholic Church, hinting at existing tensions.

Differing Accounts of the Discussion

While the Vatican emphasized migration and humanitarian issues, Vance's office highlighted discussions on persecuted Christian communities and President Trump's commitment to peace. Unconfirmed reports suggest a brief meeting between Vance and Pope Francis, but no details were publicly released.

Past Tensions and Papal Rebukes

The meeting comes amid a history of strained relations between Pope Francis and the current US administration. Pope Francis has openly criticized President Trump's immigration policies, labeling them a 'disgrace' and a 'grave sin'. He also directly addressed Vance, correcting his interpretation of a Catholic concept related to deportations. Vance acknowledged the Pope's criticism, describing himself as a 'baby Catholic' still learning about the faith. Further friction arose from Vance's comments regarding the US Conference of Catholic Bishops' involvement in immigration, which prompted strong criticism from Cardinal Timothy Dolan.

Vance's Easter Visit to Rome

Vance's visit to Rome included attendance at the Vatican's Good Friday service, coinciding with his meeting with Cardinal Parolin. His time in Rome followed a meeting with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.

Pope Francis's Health

Pope Francis recently recovered from a serious bout of pneumonia, requiring over a month of hospitalization. Despite his recent illness, he has resumed his official duties, including a meeting with King Charles and Queen Camilla.

Pope Francis skipped the Vatican’s official meeting with Vice President J.D. Vance Saturday, instead having his No. 2 give the vice president a lecture on compassion, according to a Vatican statement.

Pope Francis was absent from Vance’s conversation with Cardinal Pietro Parolin. However, the statement said there was “an exchange of opinions on the international situation, especially regarding countries affected by war, political tensions and difficult humanitarian situations, with particular attention to migrants, refugees, and prisoners.”

It called for “serene collaboration” between the White House and the Catholic Church in the United States—a seeming hint to the tensions that have brewed between the two since President Donald Trump took office.

A statement from Vance’s office about the meeting, however, did not include migration among the topics of conversation.

It said the two discussed “the plight of persecuted Christian communities around the world” as well as Trump’s “commitment to restoring world peace,” Bloomberg reported.

Inside Vatican sources told Sky News that Vance did briefly meet with the Pope at his residence, but no details of their conversation have been made public.

Pope Francis has repeatedly rebuked the president’s mass deportation effort, calling it a “disgrace” and a “grave sin.”

The pontiff has also specifically confronted Vance, the highest-ranking Catholic in the U.S. government, having converted in 2019.

Without mentioning the VP by name, the Pope corrected a Catholic concept Vance had invoked to defend the administration’s deportations, ordo amoris (order of love). In a February letter, Francis pointedly explained, “Christian love is not a concentric expansion of interests that little by little extend to other persons and groups.”

Vance acknowledged the Pope’s criticism, calling himself a “baby Catholic” and admitting that there are “things about the faith that I don’t know.”

In January, Vance found himself in a tussle with the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops after he suggested they were helping “resettle illegal immigrants” to secure funding.

New York Cardinal Timothy Dolan fired back that Vance’s remarks were “scurrilous,” “nasty,” and “not true.”

The pope, 88, is recovering from a serious bout of pneumonia that kept him in the hospital for more than a month. However, he has resumed his official duties. He was well enough to meet with King Charles and Queen Camilla when they visited the Vatican last week.

Vance is spending the Easter weekend in Rome after meeting with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. He and his wife, Usha Vance, were in attendance at the Vatican’s Good Friday service, Politico reported.

Editor’s note: This story has been updated to make clear that the Pope did not snub J.D. Vance.