JD Vance Meets Pope Francis on Easter Sunday Amid Past Tensions Over Migration

VATICAN CITY — In a brief yet symbolic Easter Sunday meeting, U.S. Vice President JD Vance and Pope Francis exchanged warm greetings despite their past public disagreements over U.S. immigration policy.

The two met at the Domus Santa Marta, the Vatican guesthouse where the Pope resides, as Francis continues recovering from a serious bout of pneumonia. Though he delegated Easter Mass to another cardinal due to his health, the 88-year-old pontiff still made time for a personal moment with Vance.

Francis offered Vance three large chocolate Easter eggs — one for each of his children, who weren’t present — along with a Vatican necktie and rosary beads.

“I know you have not been feeling great, but it’s good to see you in better health,” Vance told the Pope. “Thank you for seeing me.”

The vice president’s motorcade quietly entered Vatican City through a side gate while the Mass was underway in St. Peter’s Square. The meeting lasted just a few minutes, according to the Vatican, and was described as an exchange of Easter greetings.

Vance’s office later shared that the vice president expressed gratitude for the meeting and the Pope’s hospitality toward his family.

“I pray for you every day,” Vance told Francis as he departed. “God bless you.”

After leaving the Vatican, Vance rejoined his family to attend Easter Mass at St. Paul Outside the Walls, one of Rome’s four major basilicas. There, they visited the traditional tomb of the apostle Paul.

The Easter meeting comes after months of tension between Vance and Pope Francis over immigration. Vance, a Catholic convert since 2019, is a vocal supporter of former President Donald Trump’s immigration policies — including plans for mass deportations.

Pope Francis, meanwhile, has long made compassion for migrants a pillar of his papacy. Just before his recent hospitalization, Francis strongly criticized the deportation agenda, arguing that such actions strip migrants of their dignity.

He even addressed U.S. bishops directly in a letter that appeared to counter Vance’s previous defense of the policy using Catholic doctrine.

Vance, for his part, has acknowledged the Pope’s disapproval but says he stands by his beliefs. Speaking at the National Catholic Prayer Breakfast in Washington back in February, Vance admitted he’s still growing in the faith.

“There are things about the faith that I don’t know,” he said, calling himself a “baby Catholic.”

The day before his Easter audience with Francis, Vance met privately with two of the Vatican’s top diplomats — Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin and Archbishop Paul Gallagher, the Holy See’s foreign minister.

According to Vance’s office, the discussions touched on shared Catholic values, the condition of persecuted Christian communities around the world, and Trump’s stance on global peace efforts.

The Vatican’s summary acknowledged a broader “exchange of opinions,” including on migration and ongoing conflicts — likely referring to Ukraine and Gaza.

Though the Vatican has historically remained diplomatically neutral, it has taken a cautious approach toward the Trump administration, expressing concern over migrant policies and international aid cuts while continuing to promote peaceful conflict resolutions.