With a new leader in the Catholic Church, many are curious how he’ll handle foreign affairs. Now we can say confidently that it will look a lot different than before.
Because Pope Leo XIV surprised JD Vance with an offer he couldn’t refuse.
On May 19, 2025, U.S. Vice President JD Vance met with Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican, a significant encounter amid a surge of U.S.-led diplomatic efforts to secure a ceasefire in Russia’s war in Ukraine.
The meeting, attended by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, underscored shared Catholic values and a mutual commitment to peace. This pivotal moment is explored through three key angles: the diplomatic context of the Vatican meeting, the personal and ideological dynamics between Vance and Leo, and the broader U.S.-Vatican collaboration on global conflicts.
Diplomatic Context of the Vatican Meeting
Vance, leading the U.S. delegation to Pope Leo XIV’s inaugural Mass on May 18, met the pontiff the following day as part of a flurry of diplomatic engagements.
“There was an exchange of views on some current international issues, calling for respect for humanitarian law and international law in areas of conflict and for a negotiated solution between the parties involved,” a Vatican statement noted.
The Vatican, sidelined in the first three years of Russia’s invasion, has offered to host peace talks and continues humanitarian efforts, such as prisoner swaps and reuniting Ukrainian children.
Vance’s Sunday meetings with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, followed by President Trump’s planned calls with Vladimir Putin and Zelenskyy on Monday, reflect a concerted U.S. push for a ceasefire, with the Vatican as a key ally.
Personal and Ideological Dynamics
Both Vance, a Catholic convert since 2019, and Pope Leo XIV, the first American pope and former Cardinal Robert Prevost, share a Catholic identity but have clashed on policy.
Before his May 8 election, Leo shared X posts critical of the Trump administration’s mass deportation plans, a stance echoing Pope Francis’s focus on migrants and the poor.
Vance, one of the last officials to meet Francis before his April 21 death, faced public rebukes from the late pope over migration, with Francis correcting Vance’s theological defense of deportations.
Despite this, Vance expressed pride in Leo, saying Sunday, “The United States was very proud of him,” and gifted him a Chicago Bears jersey emblazoned with “Pope Leo XIV.” The 45-minute audience, joined by Rubio, also a Catholic, highlighted a desire to align on peace efforts while navigating past tensions.
U.S.-Vatican Collaboration on Global Conflicts
The meeting signals a reset in U.S.-Vatican relations, with the Trump administration seeking to leverage Leo’s peace advocacy. Leo, a Chicago-born missionary who served in Chiclayo, Peru, has vowed “every effort” to end the Ukraine conflict, a commitment he reiterated at his inaugural Mass, calling for peace in Ukraine, Gaza, and Myanmar.
Vance’s aide cited his National Catholic Prayer Breakfast remarks, stating, “Where I think President Trump’s policy is most in accord with Christian social teaching and with the Catholic faith is that more than any president of my lifetime, President Trump has pursued a path of peace.”
The Vatican’s offer to mediate, backed by Secretary of State Pietro Parolin’s suggestion to host direct talks, aligns with U.S. initiatives, including recent ceasefire brokering between India and Pakistan, which Leo “welcomed with satisfaction.”
This collaboration aims to bolster Trump’s “peacemaker” vision amid ongoing global crises.
