U.S. Vice President JD Vance met with senior Catholic Church officials at the Vatican on Saturday in a high-profile visit that marked the first in-person talks between the Holy See and the second Trump administration.
Vance, a practicing Catholic, sat down with Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican’s Secretary of State, and his top deputy. The meeting comes amid ongoing tensions between the Vatican and Washington over the Trump administration’s controversial immigration policies, which have drawn criticism from Pope Francis.
Despite past disagreements, the Vatican described the dialogue as “cordial,” noting that both sides exchanged views on global issues, including conflict zones, political instability, humanitarian crises, and especially matters concerning migrants, refugees, and prisoners.
Vance, in a separate statement, said the two also discussed the state of Catholicism in the United States, the plight of persecuted Christians worldwide, and what he described as “President Trump’s commitment to restoring world peace.”
The meeting signals a possible step toward diplomatic engagement between the Church and the Trump administration, which have frequently been at odds on issues ranging from immigration to climate change.
