JD Vance Pays Tribute to Pope Francis After Meeting Him Just Hours Before His Death
Photo by (EV) Vatican media/Abaca/Sipa USA(Sipa via AP Images)
Vice President JD Vance led Trump administration tributes to Pope Francis, after having met with the pontiff in his reported final meeting — just hours before his death on Monday.
On Easter Sunday, Vance — representing the Trump administration on an overseas diplomatic mission — met briefly with the Pope at his residence in Vatican City. The moment, initially read as symbolic and somewhat fraught given their past tensions, now takes on historic weight as Francis’ final public meeting.
“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,” Vance posted early Monday on X. “I was happy to see him yesterday, though he was obviously very ill… May God rest his soul.”
The White House followed with its own tribute:
The death of Francis, a global spiritual leader who repeatedly challenged Trump-era immigration policies, came after attempts by the Trump-Vance administration to reset relations with the Vatican. But their meeting followed years of pointed ideological clashes — particularly over the treatment of migrants, which Francis had made central to his papacy.
In 2016, he clashed with President Donald Trump over immigration, questioning the faith of any leader who would “build walls instead of bridges.” Nearly a decade later, he rebuked Vance — a Catholic convert — for what he saw as the opportunistic use of Church teaching to justify hardline migration policy
During the meeting on Sunday, Francis offered Vance three large chocolate Easter eggs for the vice president’s children, along with rosaries and a Vatican tie.
“I know you have not been feeling great but it’s good to see you in better health,” Vance reportedly said during their short encounter. “Thank you for seeing me.”
The Vatican acknowledged the “brief” nature of the Sunday meeting. Just a day earlier, Vance had been received instead by the Vatican Secretary of State and foreign minister, fueling speculation about lingering tensions.
Yet in the end, Francis offered an olive branch. And now, with the Holy See entering a period of mourning — and potential geopolitical recalibration — Vance’s final exchange with the Pope may mark both an ending and an opening in the Church’s complex relationship with the administration.
