Vice President JD Vance, Pope Francis Have Easter Sunday Meeting At Vatican

Vice President JD Vance met with Pope Francis on Easter Sunday, a diplomatic high-water mark for his ongoing April 18-24 trip to Italy, Vatican City and India.

The meeting lasted “some minutes and they exchanged Easter greetings,” according to a Vatican statement. The visit occurred at 11:30 a.m. local time in the pope’s residence in the Casa Santa Marta as Easter Sunday Mass was celebrated nearby in Saint Peter’s Square. Since Pope Francis, 88, is convalescing from double pneumonia after a 38-day hospitalization, the role of celebrant of the liturgy commemorating the resurrection of Jesus Christ was delegated to Cardinal Angelo Comastri, the retired archpriest of St. Peter’s Basilica.

“It’s good to see you in better health,” Vance told the Holy Father. The pope reportedly gifted him with a Vatican tie, blessed rosary beads and three Easter eggs for his children.

Just in: Pope Francis presents US Vice President JD Vance with a Vatican tie, blessed rosary beads, and three Easter eggs for his children. Vance tells the Pope “It’s good to see you in better health.” @EWTNews pic.twitter.com/mFpXChiqmZ

— Colm Flynn (@colmflynnire) April 20, 2025

“This morning, Vice President JD Vance met with His Holiness Pope Francis at the Vatican,” a Sunday press release from the Office of the Vice President reads. “The Vice President expressed his gratitude to Pope Francis for inviting him to meet on Easter Sunday and for the hospitality the Vatican has extended to his family.”

#PopeFrancis and @JDVance meet this morning. Vatican Media photo pic.twitter.com/FEia8ORnmV

— Catholic News Service Rome (@CatholicNewsSvc) April 20, 2025

Some corporate media outlets speculated the visit would not happen amid perceived “rifts” between the administration and Pope Francis.

The supreme pontiff then moved to the basilica’s loggia balcony overlooking the Square — brightened by the enthusiastic presence of thousands of pilgrims and, continuing a nearly 40-year tradition, 10,000 hydrangeas, ranunculus, delphiniums and other blessed flowers from the Netherlands — to give the traditional Ubi et Orbi (“for the city and for the world”) blessing.

“Brothers and sisters, Happy Easter!” the Vicar of Christ said with some effort and waving, delighting those who stayed after the Mass, hoping for a now rare public appearance by the pope. Moments earlier, a military band helped gather the attention of the crowd by playing the anthems of the Holy See and Italy.

“Good morning and happy Easter.” The moment Pope Francis appears at the balcony overlooking St. Peter’s Square before handing over his Urbi et Orbi to the master of ceremonies to read. pic.twitter.com/3ALrD9AY5A

— Colm Flynn (@colmflynnire) April 20, 2025

Chatting live to @HenaDoba on @NewsNation this morning about the appearance of Pope Francis after this morning’s beautiful Easter Sunday Mass. pic.twitter.com/7xRR9AOi2l

— Colm Flynn (@colmflynnire) April 20, 2025

While his Holy Week engagements at the Vatican were personally significant to Vance, who is Catholic, the international trip also represents the Trump administration’s first and highest-level diplomatic blitz across Europe — as well as the very foundation of Western civilization — following Trump’s April 2 Liberation Day tariff announcement.

It was an honor to visit the Vatican during Holy Week, and a blessing to experience the beauty and reverence of the Good Friday liturgy at St. Peter’s Basilica. pic.twitter.com/L3LBlkNgmJ

— Vice President JD Vance (@VP) April 19, 2025

Vance previously addressed several conferences during visits to Paris and Munich, Germany in February, including criticism of European allies for failing to defend free speech. He also visited Greenland in March with his wife, in addition to National Security Adviser Mike Waltz amid the “Signalgate” incident involving the discussion of sensitive military strike plans on a platform that inadvertently included the editor-in-chief of The Atlantic.

Following a Good Friday meeting with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Vance met on Holy Saturday with the Vatican’s Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin and Secretary for Relations with States and International Organizations Archbishop Paul Gallagher.

“During the cordial talks,” the statement reported by Vatican News reads, “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.”

On Saturday morning, the Vice President of the United States, JD Vance, was received at the Secretariat of State by Cardinal Pietro Parolin. Discussions focused on peace, religious freedom, freedom of conscience and migration
Read more: https://t.co/d74DDnyoO2… pic.twitter.com/ISBYEC8bFC

— Vatican News (@VaticanNews) April 19, 2025

“There was an exchange of opinions on the international situation,” the statement continues, “especially regarding countries affected by war, political tensions and difficult humanitarian situations, with particular attention to migrants, refugees, and prisoners.”

“Today, during Holy Week, Vice President JD Vance met with Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin,” a Saturday press release from the Office of the Vice President reads. “The Vice President and Cardinal Parolin discussed their shared religious faith, Catholicism in the United States, the plight of persecuted Christian communities around the world, and President Trump’s commitment to restoring world peace.” (RELATED: Pope Francis Congratulates Trump On Historic Inauguration Despite Blasting Key Policy As ‘Disgrace’ Hours Earlier)

Following the meeting, the second family toured the Sistine Chapel and Rome’s botanic garden.

In another development thousands of miles away, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a temporary “Easter truce” in a televised statement released Saturday by the Kremlin.

“On humanitarian grounds, today from 6 p.m. to midnight from Sunday to Monday, the Russian side announces an Easter truce,” Putin said in translated remarks reported by The Associated Press. “For this period, I order to stop all fighting. We assume that the Ukrainian side will follow our example. At the same time, our troops should be prepared to reflect possible violations of the truce and provocations by the enemy, any aggressive actions.”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed some skepticism, citing reports of continued attacks, but he noted it was “a good thing, at least, that there were no air raid sirens.”

“As of Easter morning, we can say that the Russian army is trying to create a general impression of a ceasefire, but in some places, it does not abandon individual attempts to advance and inflict losses on Ukraine,” he posted on X.

Vance will also visit New Delhi with his children as well as his wife Usha, whose parents emigrated from India to the U.S. Vance will meet with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The second family will also travel to Jaipur and Agra to participate in cultural events.

President Donald Trump released a statement and video message ahead of Easter and later extended wishes that the “day be full of Peace and Joy for all who celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus Christ.”

He also took to Truth Social and blasted critics.

Trump’s official schedule did not, at the time of this writing, feature an Easter Sunday worship service event, though a pre-Easter dinner was held at the White House on Holy Thursday.