IRISH EXAMINER
US Vice President JD Vance arrived in Rome on Friday for meetings with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin.
Vice President JD Vance is in Rome for talks with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and senior Vatican officials, amid tensions with Pope Francis over US migration policy.
Vance, who accompanied Meloni during her White House visit, will attend Easter weekend events at the Vatican and meet with Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Holy See’s second in command. No meeting with Pope Francis was scheduled, as the 88-year-old pontiff is recovering from double pneumonia.
Vance, a Catholic convert, has faced criticism from Francis over the Trump administration’s mass deportation plans. The Pope recently warned such policies “deprive migrants of their inherent dignity.” Vance responded, “I respect the Holy Father, but I will continue to defend my views.”