Pope Leo XIV welcomed U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio to the Vatican for a series of discussions on Monday. The visit began with a private audience between the Pope and the two American officials, followed by broader talks that included Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, the Vatican’s Secretary for Relations with States and International Organizations. The diplomatic meeting followed the previous day’s inaugural Mass for Pope Leo XIV, which Vance and Rubio attended at the Vatican.
According to a Vatican statement, the conversation was described as “cordial” and touched on several significant issues concerning the life of the Church and the protection of religious liberty. The Vatican’s statement also noted that the group also shared perspectives on various global matters: “there was an exchange of views on several pressing international concerns, with an emphasis on the importance of upholding humanitarian and international law in conflict zones, and encouraging negotiated settlements among the parties involved.”
The White House added that Vance and Archbishop Gallagher also talked about global threats to religious freedom, persecution of Christians, and the mutual goal of President Trump and Pope Leo to put an end to the violence in Ukraine and the Middle East.
During the meeting, Vance presented the pope with a copy of two of St. Augustine’s seminal works, “The City of God” and “On Christian Doctrine.” He also gifted a personalized Chicago Bears T-shirt bearing the pope’s name, a nod to their shared hometown. In return, Pope Leo XIV gave Vance a bronze sculpture inscribed with the Italian phrase “Peace is a fragile flower” and a large-format photo book of the papal apartments in the Apostolic Palace.
Vance and Rubio also extended a formal invitation from President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump for the pontiff to visit the United States. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt later told reporters that Vance passed a long a letter to the pope from the President and First Lady “extending their warm wishes and inviting him to the White House as soon as he possibly can” visit.
After briefly greeting Pope Leo at the conclusion of Sunday’s Mass, Vance spent much of the day in bilateral meetings, including with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. He also met with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who expressed optimism that the trilateral talks could mark a “new beginning.” According to a statement from Meloni’s office, he spoke by phone with President Trump and several other European leaders ahead of Trump’s call with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday.
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