Vatican City, May 19, 2025 / 06:52 am (CNA).
Pope Leo XIV held a private meeting with U.S. Vice President JD Vance and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio in the papal library on Monday morning.
Details of the meeting were not released, but the Americans later spoke with a top Vatican diplomat about U.S. and international issues.
The 45-minute papal audience began with a one-on-one between Vance and the pope, with Rubio joining afterward. Second Lady Usha Vance, Rubio’s wife Jeanette Dousdebes Rubio, and the larger U.S. delegation joined for the final part of the meeting, which included the customary exchange of gifts.
In a photo of the encounter released by the Vatican, Vance appears to have given the pontiff a Chicago Bears jersey with “Pope Leo XIV” printed on the back.
Other photos show Vance and Rubio smiling, seated in places of honor across the papal desk from Leo, a position usually reserved for heads of state.
A Vatican spokesperson did not immediately reply to a request for comment on the seating arrangement.
Following the papal audience, Vance and Rubio met with Secretary for Relations with States Archbishop Paul Gallagher, Rubio’s Vatican counterpart. They discussed collaboration between Church and state and issues relevant to ecclesial life and religious freedom, according to the Vatican.
The brief communication on the meeting from the Vatican also appeared to reference disagreements — “an exchange of views” — between the Vatican and the U.S. administration on “some current international issues.”
During the meeting, there was a call for “respect for humanitarian law and international law in areas of conflict and for a negotiated solution between the parties involved,” the Vatican’s statement said.
In the 10 days since his election May 8, Leo has appeared to take a more pro-Ukraine line in the Russia-Ukraine conflict than his immediate predecessor, first by speaking to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky by phone in the first hours of his papacy, then meeting the leader for a private audience the same day of his inaugural Mass.
Leo also called for negotiations for a “just and lasting peace” in Ukraine in his first two Regina Caeli messages on May 11 and 18, and one of his early audiences was with the head of the Greek Ukrainian Catholic Church, Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk.
As a bishop in Peru in 2022, then-Bishop Prevost also made explicit reference to Russia’s invasion, calling it “imperialist in nature,” while Francis avoided such language in his peace appeals, and had even called for Ukraine to raise the white flag.
On the conflict in Gaza, Leo, like Francis, has called for ceasefire and the return of Israeli hostages.
Vance, Rubio, and Zelensky also met together in Rome, after they both attended Pope Leo’s inaugural Mass on May 18.
According to a post on X from Vance’s office, the leaders discussed “updates on the ongoing negotiations for a ceasefire and lasting peace.”
Zelensky called the encounter a “good meeting” in his own post on X, and said he “reaffirmed that Ukraine is ready to be engaged in real diplomacy.”
The Ukrainian president also said he spoke about the need for pressure and sanctions against Russia, as well as “defense cooperation.”
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