Vice President JD Vance was one of the last people to see Pope Francis alive

Vice President JD Vance Meets Pope Francis At The Vatican
Photo Credit: Vatican Media/CPP/IPA/INSTARimages

Not long before what would become his final public appearance, a blessing of the crowds gathered for Easter Sunday mass in St Peterโ€™s Square and an unexpected popemobile tour of the piazza, Pope Francis welcomed Vice President JD Vance.

Among the last individuals to interact with the pontiff before his passing early Monday morning (April 21, 2025) was US vice-president JD Vance, a passionate though relatively new convert to Roman Catholicism.

The meeting took place Sunday morning (April 20, 2025) at the Domus Santa Marta guest house, the modest residence where Francis spent his 12-year papacy. According to statements from the Vatican and Vanceโ€™s office, they exchanged brief Easter greetings, and the 88-year-old pope gifted the vice-president rosaries, a Vatican tie and three large chocolate Easter eggs for his children.

Despite Vanceโ€™s much-publicized faith, this encounter surprised many in both Washington and Rome. The two had engaged in heated public disagreements recently over the Trump administrationโ€™s immigration policies, particularly regarding mass deportation efforts.

In a February letter to US Catholic bishops, the leader of the worldโ€™s 1.4 billion Roman Catholics described the mass deportations as a โ€œmajor crisisโ€ that was damaging โ€œthe dignity of many men and womenโ€.

Francis acknowledged the right of a country to keep its communities safe from people who had committed violent or serious crimes, but said: โ€œWhat 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.โ€

The bishop of Romeโ€™s message couldnโ€™t have been clearer to an administration known for its direct communication style.

Vice President JD Vance Meets Pope Francis At The Vatican
Vice President JD Vance meets Pope Francis at the Vatican on April 20, 2025. Photo Credit: Vatican Media/CPP/IPA/INSTARimages

Francis also challenged Vanceโ€™s use of the medieval Catholic concept of ordo amoris, or rightly ordered love, which the vice-president had cited to argue that care should prioritize oneโ€™s immediate community and fellow citizens before extending globally.

โ€œChristian love is not a concentric expansion of interests that little by little extend to other persons and groups,โ€ the pope pointed out in his letter to the bishops. โ€œThe true ordo amoris that must be promoted is that which we discover by meditating constantly on the parable of the Good Samaritan, that is, by meditating on the love that builds a fraternity open to all, without exception.โ€

While Vance acknowledged the pontiffโ€™s criticism, he maintained his stance. At Februaryโ€™s national Catholic prayer breakfast in Washington DC, he sidestepped the specific issue but described himself as a โ€œbaby Catholicโ€ and admitted there were โ€œthings about the faith that I donโ€™t know.โ€

Francis had previously taken public stands against Trumpโ€™s policies. During a Mexico visit in February 2016, months before Trumpโ€™s first presidential victory, the pope delivered a pointed critique of the business mogulโ€™s signature border wall proposal.

โ€œSomeone who only thinks about constructing walls, wherever they might be, rather than building bridges, cannot be considered Christian,โ€ he declared bluntly. โ€œThis isnโ€™t what the gospel teaches us.โ€

The response from Trump was swift and heated. โ€œFor a religious leader to question someoneโ€™s faith is truly disgraceful,โ€ he fired back. โ€œNo leader, particularly a religious one, has any right to judge another personโ€™s religious beliefs or faith.โ€

Just before the papal meeting, Vanceโ€™s team had met with Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vaticanโ€™s Secretary of State, and Archbishop Paul Gallagher, who handles foreign affairs.

While the Vatican described these discussions as cordial, they noted there had been โ€œan exchange of views on international matters, specifically regarding nations impacted by warfare, political tensions and challenging humanitarian situations, with special focus on migrants, refugees, and those imprisoned.โ€

Despite their past clashes, one of Francisโ€™s final visitors was among the first to mourn his death publicly.

โ€œI just learned of the passing of Pope Francis,โ€ Vance posted on X on Monday. โ€œMy 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 Iโ€™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.โ€

While the private details of Sundayโ€™s meeting between the two men will likely remain unknown, Francisโ€™s final Urbi et Orbi message, read on his behalf during mass at St Peterโ€™s Square that Sunday, carried his characteristic call for compassion and understanding.

โ€œHow much disdain is often shown toward those who are vulnerable, marginalized, and migrants,โ€ the message stated. โ€œOn this day, I want us all to renew our hope and revive our trust in others, including those who differ from us, or who come from faraway places, bringing unfamiliar traditions, ways of life and ideas. For we are all Godโ€™s children.โ€