U.S. Vice President JD Vance held high-level talks with the Vatican’s top diplomats on Saturday, in a meeting that touched on migration, religious freedom, and global humanitarian crises—just months after Pope Francis publicly rebuked the U.S. administration’s immigration stance.
Vance, a Catholic convert and key figure in the Trump administration, met with Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican Secretary of State, and Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, the Secretary for Relations with States. The Vatican described the discussions as “cordial,” despite recent tensions over the U.S. government’s mass deportation plans.
According to a Vatican statement, the two sides exchanged views on global issues, particularly nations affected by conflict, political instability, and humanitarian crises. Special focus was given to the plight of migrants, refugees, and prisoners—groups Pope Francis has consistently defended.
While the visit was seen as an attempt to reset strained Vatican-U.S. relations, the meeting came in the wake of a February letter from Pope Francis to U.S. bishops, in which he condemned Trump’s deportation agenda as a “major crisis.” In response, Trump’s border security chief controversially advised the pontiff to “stick to religion.”
Although Vance had hoped to meet the pope during his visit, no such meeting was confirmed. Pope Francis, 88, is still recovering from a serious bout of pneumonia that saw him hospitalized for nearly 40 days.
Despite policy disagreements, the Vatican recognized the U.S. Catholic Church’s efforts in serving vulnerable populations across the country.
