JD Vance brushes off new Pope 'snub' by giving him very unusual gift in closed-door Vatican meeting
Vice President JD Vance and his wife Usha met with Pope Leo XIV on Monday during an official papal audience with the American delegation that traveled to the Vatican for the pope's inaugural mass.
The Vice President met with the American-born pope from Chicago and presented him with a Chicago Bears Jersey with the name Pope Leo XIV stitched on the back.
'In the United States, people are extremely excited,' Vance told the Pope, according to video of the meeting at the Vatican.
The Vice President also presented Vance with a letter from President Donald Trump inviting the new pope to visit the United States.
The Vatican revealed that Pope Leo had 'cordial' talks with Vance during his visit.
'During the cordial talks held at the Secretariat of State, satisfaction was once again expressed at the existing good bilateral relations, and the collaboration between Church and State was discussed, as well as some matters of special relevance to ecclesial life and religious freedom,' the press release from the Vatican read.
Vance and the pope spoke about current conflicts around the world, presumably the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
'[H]ope was expressed that humanitarian law and international law be respected in areas of conflict and that there be a negotiated solution between the parties involved,' the Vatican noted.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio was also present for the meeting with the pope as part of the American delegation that traveled to the Vatican on Sunday for the pope's inaugural mass.
'I was chosen, without any merit of my own, and now, with fear and trembling, I come to you as a brother, who desires to be the servant of your faith and your joy, walking with you on the path of God's love, for he wants us all to be united in one family,' the pope said during his homily.
The pope also spoke about the need for 'unity' throughout the world and criticized 'too much discord, too many wounds caused by hatred, violence, prejudice, the fear of difference, and an economic paradigm that exploits the Earth's resources and marginalizes the poorest.'
After the Mass, Vance and his wife were seen shaking hands Pope Leo and exchanging a few words for about 17 seconds, which was mistakenly interpreted as a 'snub' of the vice president as the pair was scheduled for a private audience.
Pope Leo XIV exchanges gifts with US Vice President J.D. Vance and his wife Usha Vance during a private audience at the Apostolic Palace
Vance converted to the Catholic faith in 2019.
This is the second trip Vance has made to the Vatican in less than a month, as the vice president visited in April for the celebration of Good Friday and Easter Sunday.
Vance met with Pope Francis just hours before he died on April 21, at his residence.
After Pope Leo was elected by the Papal conclave, resurfaced posts on his X account showed several posts that shared articles critical of the Trump administration and Vance's Christian defense for the administration's tough immigration polices.
Vance dismissed their disagreements on immigration policy, telling radio host Hugh Hewitt that 'I try not to play the politicization of the Pope game.'
'I'm sure he's going to say a lot of things that I love. I'm sure he'll say some things that I disagree with, but I'll continue to pray for him and the Church despite it all and through it all, and that'll be the way that I handle it,' he said.
'I think it would be better for all of us if we allowed the Church to be about the saving of souls and didn't try to fit it into a pre-ordained political box,' he concluded.
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