(ZENIT News / Vatican City, 05.19.2025).- U.S. Vice President James David Vance was received in private audience by Pope Leo XIV on Monday morning at the Apostolic Palace in Vatican City. The occasion, framed by the solemnity of the Pope’s recent inauguration and the complexities of a turbulent global order, marked the first high-level diplomatic encounter between the new Pontiff and the administration of President Donald J. Trump since his return to office.
Accompanied by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and a presidential delegation, Vance’s visit underscored the enduring strategic and spiritual dialogue between the United States and the Holy See. The two parties, according to both Vatican and White House briefings, engaged in wide-ranging discussions that touched on shared global concerns and the moral dimensions of political leadership.
While the Vatican’s official statement emphasized the continuity of warm bilateral relations and the mutual interest in religious liberty and the Church’s role in public life, the White House offered sharper focus on the content: an urgent conversation about the global persecution of Christians and the defense of religious freedom. From war-torn regions of the Middle East to underreported crackdowns in Asia and Africa, both parties recognized the need for coordinated efforts to defend the vulnerable and uphold conscience rights as a cornerstone of human dignity.
Sources close to the Secretariat of State indicated that Pope Leo XIV, drawing on his experience, spoke candidly with the vice president about the global spiritual responsibility shared by political and religious leaders. There was, reportedly, a deep convergence on the principle that religious freedom is not a privilege granted by the state but a right rooted in human nature.
The dialogue, however, did not remain in the realm of principles. The humanitarian crises in Ukraine and the Middle East—particularly the devastating civilian toll in Gaza and Ucrania—featured prominently. Both parties expressed a strong desire for negotiated solutions grounded in international law and humanitarian respect. A White House communiqué stressed that President Trump and Pope Leo XIV are “jointly committed to ending the bloodshed,” signaling a potential new axis of moral diplomacy in pursuit of peace.
Though the details of the Pope’s conversation with Secretary Rubio were not disclosed, observers suggest the encounter may open new channels of collaboration between the Vatican’s diplomatic corps and the U.S. government, especially in regions where Catholic institutions play a stabilizing role in fractured societies.
After the meeting, Vice President Vance took to social media to share his personal reflections: “I was deeply honored to meet Pope Leo XIV and to lead the presidential delegation to Rome for his inaugural Mass. We had a meaningful conversation, and I know he is a true servant of God. I invite all Americans to join me in praying for the new Pope as he begins his ministry.”
Vance’s words echo the tone of a meeting that was both personal and political, intimate yet historic. For the new Pope, the encounter with the U.S. vice president serves as an early test of his global pastoral vision. For the United States, it was a gesture of respect toward a moral authority that continues to shape global discourse on human rights, justice, and peace.
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