By AC Wimmer
CNA Newsroom, Apr 19, 2025 /
07:35 am
Vice President J.D. Vance of the United States was received at the Vatican Secretariat of State by Cardinal Pietro Parolin on Holy Saturday morning, where the two discussed international relations, religious freedom, and humanitarian concerns.
The April 19 meeting included Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin and Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, Secretary for Relations with States and International Organizations, according to a statement from the Holy See Press Office.
“During the cordial talks, satisfaction was expressed for the good existing bilateral relations between the Holy See and the United States of America, and the common commitment to protect the right to freedom of religion and conscience was reiterated,” the Vatican statement noted.
The discussions centered on the pressing problems of the global stage, “especially regarding countries affected by war, political tensions and difficult humanitarian situations, with particular attention to migrants, refugees, and prisoners.”
Both parties expressed hope for continued positive collaboration between the U.S. government and the Catholic Church in America, with the Vatican acknowledging the Church’s “valuable service to the most vulnerable people.”
During his time in Rome, Vance and his family participated in the Solemn Liturgy for the Lord’s Passion on Good Friday evening at St. Peter’s Basilica.
The Holy Saturday meeting took place at a time when the Vatican and President Donald Trump’s administration have traded back-and-forths over plans to deport large numbers of immigrants who entered the country illegally.
The administration has received praise from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops for its efforts to curtail gender ideology and government mandates that jeopardize religious freedom. However, the bishops have also sued the administration over its decision to cut funding for nongovernmental organizations that provide services to migrants, which has affected numerous Catholic organizations.
Hannah Brockhaus contributed to this report.
AC Wimmer (刘威猛) is the News Editor for Europe and Asia at EWTN News. The multilingual Australian, raised in Bavaria and South Africa, served as editor-in-chief of several news media outlets. A graduate in Philosophy and Chinese Studies from the University of Melbourne, the veteran journalist is a former Honorary Research Fellow in Communications at his alma mater and served on the Board of Caritas in Munich.
