Photo: Channel 24
MSN reports
The awkward “meeting” between US Vice President J.D. Vance and the Pope, which took place this Sunday in Rome, has become a symbol of the tensions between the Vatican and the White House. Against the backdrop of harsh criticism of the Donald Trump administration’s migration policy, the pontiff actually refused to grant Vance an official audience, instead limiting himself to a few minutes of greetings at his Casa Santa Marta residence.
Although the meeting formally took place, its duration and tone point to a clear lack of respect. Pope Francis, now 88 years old and continuing to recover from a serious illness, exchanged only brief Easter greetings with the American politician. No photos, no public blessing, no official statements – just a cold and reserved greeting, in stark contrast to the warm, official audience the pontiff granted Joe Biden in December.
This attitude towards Vance was perceived as a clear signal. The Vatican has repeatedly condemned the Trump administration’s migration initiatives, including its intention to carry out mass deportations. Even before Trump’s inauguration in 2017, Pope Francis warned: “This will not work. This is not the way to solve problems.”
Vance, who converted to Catholicism in 2019, has repeatedly tried to justify the administration’s anti-immigration policy by appealing to religious values. However, the Pope has repeatedly condemned such rhetoric in open letters to American bishops. And senior representatives of the Catholic Church were even more blunt: Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi explicitly stated that such a policy “humiliates people” and “undermines faith in institutions.”
During his Easter address, which was read by his aide, the pontiff stressed the threat of growing contempt for migrants and marginalised groups. Although he did not mention the United States directly, the context was clear.
Social media exploded with comments:
“Not a single photo. Not a single blessing. Just a cold shoulder and a reminder of who the Church is with,” wrote user Jay Mallow.
“This humiliation is as ecclesiastical as it gets,” added Shonaide McGill.
This diplomatic coldness, disguised as “Easter niceness”, has become a new marker of the deep rift between the Vatican and Washington – especially on the issue of dignity, rights and protection of migrants.
