Vance met with Leo’s predecessor, Pope Francis, on April 20th.
Pope Leo will be in charge of the Catholic Church at his first Mass
Vice President JD Vance had seen Pope Leo XIV formally envision his role as leader of the Catholic Church’s St. Peter’s Square.
- Vance also met with Archbishop Richard Gallagher to discuss the freedom and collaboration of Holy Sea and American religions.
WASHINGTON – Pope Leo XIV met personally with Secretary of State Marco Rubio and his wife, Vice President J.D. Vance, the Vatican announced on May 19.
Vance, the first Catholic convert to serve as Vice President, led the delegation as the church’s first US-born leader and took on his role at Mass on May 18 at St. Peter’s Square, attended by tens of thousands of people, including numerous world leaders.
After the private meeting, Vance met with Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, secretary of relations with the Vatican national and international organizations, to discuss religious freedom and cooperation between the Catholic Church and the US government.
“Finally, there was an exchange of views on some current international issues, during which the hope was expressed that humanitarian and international law would be respected in the field of conflict and that there would be a negotiated solution between the parties,” according to the Holy See’s press.
Vance met with the late Pope Francis on April 20th. This died 24 hours before the Pope died after weeks of fighting against dual pneumonia and other health issues.