Vance meets Pope Leo XIV: US and Vatican towards new dialogue

After the pontifical inauguration, the US Vice President and Secretary of State visited the Vatican to strengthen bilateral relations

US Vice President J.D. Vance met with Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican today. The audience, which lasted about 45 minutes, ended around 8.40 a.m., according to a spokesman for the US vice-presidency. Vance had arrived shortly before, at 7.56am.

Today’s meeting follows yesterday’s formal one during the pontifical inauguration ceremony, in which Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio had their first official contact with Leo XIV, the first US pontiff in Church history.

The Washington Post points out that the American leadership is trying to re-establish relations with the Holy See and build a new understanding with the newly elected Pope. The shared objective is to establish themselves as ‘peace builders’, in line with the vision promoted by the White House and Leo XIV himself.

The climate now appears more relaxed than a month ago, when Vance met Pope Francis. That audience, followed by Bergoglio’s death the next day, had been marked by tensions linked to Francis’ criticism of Trump and Vance, accused of distorting a theological concept to justify immigration repression.

Now, with Leo XIV, the premises for a more constructive dialogue seem to be there. Pope Prevost has already expressed his desire to intervene in major global conflicts, and the US intends to cooperate, starting with the Middle East and Ukraine. The American push for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, as well as the Trump administration’s efforts for a diplomatic solution to the Ukrainian conflict, are cited as examples of this convergence.

However, deep disagreements remain, especially on immigration and social justice. Leo XIV, known for his critical stance towards anti-immigrant policies, expressed clear opinions on social media even before the election. Although in public there is a willingness to dialogue, US sources admit that on this front the gap with the Trump administration is probably irremediable. Marco Rubio, however, told the Washington Post that ‘stemming the flow of mass migration’ does not contradict Catholic principles and that a sincere confrontation is still possible.

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