VATICAN CITY (AP) — U.S. Vice President JD Vance met on Saturday with the Vatican’s second-highest official amid tensions over the U.S. crackdown on migrants.
The Holy See reaffirmed good relations but highlighted “an exchange of views” on current international conflicts, migrants, and prisoners.
Who did Vance talk to at the Vatican?
Vance, a converted Catholic, met with the Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Archbishop Paul Gallagher, at the Apostolic Palace.
There were no indications that he met with Pope Francis, who has drastically reduced his official duties during his recovery from pneumonia.
Vance’s office said that he and Parolin “discussed their shared religious faith, Catholicism in the United States, the difficult situation of persecuted Christian communities around the world, and President Trump’s commitment to restoring world peace.”.
The Holy See has responded cautiously to the Trump administration, while seeking to continue productive relations in accordance with its tradition of diplomatic neutrality.
He expressed alarm at the administration’s crackdown on immigrants and cuts to international aid, while also insisting on peaceful solutions to the wars in Ukraine and Gaza.