On May 19, 2025, Vice President Vance of the United States met with Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican to deliver a formal invitation from President Trump and First Lady inviting the first Pope to visit the United States.
In a video released by the Vatican media, the Pope accepted the letter and placed it on his desk, saying softly, “There will be an opportunity in the future.”
According to the Associated Press, Vance converted to Catholicism in 2019. His office stated that during this meeting, the Vice President also presented the Pope with two classic works by St. Augustine, “The City of God” and “On Christian Doctrine,” along with a Chicago Bears t-shirt featuring the Pope’s name.
In return, the Pope gifted Vance with a bronze sculpture inscribed with the Italian words “Peace is a fragile flower” on the base, and a large photography book about the Apostolic Palace, the Pope’s residence. He mentioned that Pope Francis has not stayed there, stating, “I may move in, but I haven’t fully decided yet.”
**Translation from Chinese (Simplified) to English**
Pope Leo XIV was born in Chicago. On Sunday, Vance led a U.S. delegation to attend the Mass for the inauguration of the new Pope. Vance’s spokesperson Luke Schroeder stated that on Monday, along with Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who is also a Catholic, met with Archbishop Paul Gallagher, the Foreign Minister of the Vatican.
The Vatican stated that Vance was the first visitor received by Pope Leo XIV on Monday after his ascension.
**Translation from Chinese (Simplified) to English**
In a statement released after the meeting, the Vatican mentioned that both parties exchanged views on various current international issues, emphasizing that conflict zones should respect humanitarian and international law, and called for disputes to be resolved through negotiations.
After a brief exchange with the Pope following the Mass on Sunday, Vance’s other scheduled activities included meetings with Ukrainian President Zelenskyy and discussions with Ursula von der Leyen, the President of the European Commission, and Giorgia Meloni, the Prime Minister of Italy. Meloni expressed hope that the trilateral meeting could be a “fresh start.”
Meloni’s office also stated that she had a telephone conversation with Trump that evening and coordinated with several European leaders to pave the way for Trump’s expected call with Russian President Putin on Monday.