ROME — JD Vance is poised for a potentially tense meeting with the Catholic Church’s leadership as the U.S. Vice President wraps up a brief diplomatic tour in the Eternal City.
On Saturday, Vance, along with his wife and three children, traversed the grand Via della Conciliazione in Vatican City to engage with Cardinal Pietro Parolin, who serves as Pope Francis’s chief diplomat. This meeting follows Vance’s discussions with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on Friday, where they addressed the implications of U.S. President Donald Trump’s ongoing trade conflict.
Concerns about Vance’s hardline stance
While Vance has met with Parolin, he has yet to encounter the pope directly. However, Vatican insiders have not dismissed the possibility of an Easter visit with Francis, who recently managed to meet with King Charles III of the United Kingdom despite recovering from a severe respiratory illness.
Vatican officials express concern regarding Vance’s traditionalist Catholic views, which often clash with the progressive agenda championed by Pope Francis. One individual close to the pope remarked,
“The pope has no great love for neither Vance nor Trump. He has positions which are against the social doctrine of the Church, for migration, and human rights, and so on.”
Despite the evident differences, Francis is known for engaging with those who hold opposing views, suggesting that he might not shy away from an encounter with Vance. Some observers believe that the pope prefers to avoid appearing weak in his leadership.
This ideological divide was notably highlighted earlier in the year when Vance invoked the theological concept of Ordo Amoris to justify Trump’s policies on migrant deportations. This led to an unusual public rebuke from the Vatican.
During the upcoming meeting, there are worries that Vance may leverage the platform to criticize the Vatican, similar to his earlier remarks at the Munich Security Conference about Europe and the EU. Nevertheless, Vance has since taken a more conciliatory approach, complimenting Francis for his care for the church’s followers.
Implications of the visit amidst ongoing negotiations
The details surrounding the meeting remain sparse. A press release issued post-discussion characterized the meeting as “cordial,” indicating that Vance and Parolin engaged on various pressing global issues, including migration, refugees, and humanitarian crises.
It is anticipated that Parolin addressed the cuts to USAID instituted by the Trump administration, a move viewed unfavorably within Vatican circles due to its negative impact on the Church’s charitable missions. Throughout his papacy, Francis has consistently advocated for the dignified treatment of migrants, often facing backlash from conservative factions.
This visit occurs at a precarious time, with questions surrounding the pope’s health and fears that influential American Catholic conservatives may attempt to sway future conclaves. U.S. Catholics possess significant financial clout, a fact that raises alarms amid the Vatican’s deepening financial crises.
The stakes are further heightened by ongoing trade talks between the EU and the U.S., following Trump imposing 10% tariffs on exports, with a warning of a potential increase to 20% if no agreement is reached within 90 days. Prime Minister Meloni’s recent visit to the White House aimed to persuade Trump to collaborate with Europe, but reports suggest that the discussions yielded little progress.
As Vance continues his visit, he reiterated the enduring ties between Italy and the U.S. while affirming that tariff negotiations are forthcoming between Washington and Brussels. An Italian official noted, “In practical terms, I think nothing has changed so far,” although Meloni’s ability to maintain a respectful dialogue with Trump was seen as a positive step in the current political climate.
With the visit to the Vatican shrouded in uncertainty, some speculate that Parolin, who is perceived as a more moderate counterpart to Francis, may find common ground with Vance. However, he too faces challenges, as rumors of his potential succession to the papacy during Francis’s recent illness have stirred unease within the Holy See.
Despite Pope Francis’s return to the Vatican following recovery from a lengthy pneumonia bout, anxiety persists regarding the implications of Vance’s visit. One high-ranking Church official expressed concern about the timing of the visit, stating,
“It’s a bit bad to come on Good Friday, when the Church is celebrating the main mysteries of the faith. He could come as a pilgrim, but that would require some humility, which I don’t think he has.”