‘Sowing the Seeds of Death’ – Vance Granted a Few Minutes With the Pope

Pope Francis allowed a very brief visit to US Vice President JD Vance on Easter Sunday, when they exchanged holiday greetings. Vance and other Vatican officials had an “exchange of opinions” on migrants in the US and ongoing wars.

“I know you have not been feeling great, but it’s good to see you in better health,” Vance told the pope, who had recently been hospitalized for pneumonia and greeted his visitor in a wheelchair. “Thank you for seeing me.”

Vance converted to Catholicism in 2019.

The 88-year-old South American pope spent only a few minutes with Vance. Before departing, he gifted the vice president’s three young children big chocolate Easter eggs. Vance’s motorcade was at the Vatican for only 17 minutes.

While a full transcript of Vance’s discussions with the Pope and other Vatican leaders was not made public, the Vatican wrote in a release that there had been an “exchange of opinions” including over migrants, refugees, and the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

“Finally, hope was expressed for serene collaboration between the state and the Catholic church in the United States, whose valuable service to the most vulnerable people was acknowledged,” the Vatican statement said.

During his visit to Rome, Vance met on Saturday with the Vatican’s Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, and  Foreign Minister, Archbishop Paul Gallagher, . He also followed up on Trump’s White House meeting with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni last week.

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After the papal audience, Vance’s family visited another of Rome’s four basilicas: St Paul Outside the Walls, which is alleged to house the tomb of St. Paul, the apostle credited with initially introducing Christianity to much of the European world.

As the pope appeared for his annual Easter address “Urbi et Orbi” (“to the City and the World”), his words were reflective of the differences he has publicly voiced with Trump administration policies cracking down on migrants throughout the US and the regime’s support of occupying forces that have killed tens of thousands of civilians.

“I appeal to all those in positions of political responsibility in our world not to yield to the logic of fear which only leads to isolation from others, but rather to use the resources available to help the needy, to fight hunger and to encourage initiatives that promote development,” the Pope’s address stated. “These are the ‘weapons’ of peace: weapons that build the future, instead of sowing seeds of death!”