Vance meets Vatican officials, critical of Trump policies, on Easter trip

19/4/2025 16:36

U.S. Vice President JD Vance went to the Vatican on Saturday to meet senior Catholic Church officials who have been sharply critical of his administration's policies, in the first such in-person talks of the second Trump presidency.



Vance, a Catholic who has clashed with Pope Francis over U.S. President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown, arrived at the Vatican shortly before 10 a.m. for meetings with Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican's Secretary of State, and deputies.



Francis, who is limiting his public appearances on doctors' orders as he recovers from double pneumonia, was not expected to take part. Vance is visiting Italy over the Easter weekend.



The pope, Parolin and other Vatican officials have criticised several Trump administration policies, including Trump's plans to deport millions of migrants in the U.S. and his widespread cuts to foreign aid and domestic welfare programmes.



"This visit takes place in a delicate moment," said Massimo Faggioli, an Italian academic at Villanova University who has followed the papacy closely. "This relationship with the U.S. is a very high priority right now for the Vatican."