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JD Vance meets Pope Francis on Easter Sunday after flap over migration

VATICAN CITY (AP) — U.S. Vice President JD Vance met briefly with Pope Francis on Easter Sunday as the pontiff recovers from pneumonia.
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The motorcade of U.S. Vice President JD Vance is seen en route to Vatican, in Rome, Italy, Sunday, April 20, 2025. (Kenny Holston/Pool Photo via AP)

VATICAN CITY (AP) — U.S. Vice President JD Vance met briefly with Pope Francis on Easter Sunday as the pontiff recovers from pneumonia.

Vance’s motorcade entered Vatican City through a side gate and parked near Francis’ hotel residence while Easter Mass was being celebrated in St. Peter’s Square. Francis, who has greatly cut back his workload to recover, delegated the celebration of the Mass to another cardinal.

The Vatican said they met for a few minutes at the Domus Santa Marta “to exchange Easter greetings.”

Vance and the pope have tangled sharply over migration and the Trump administration’s plans to deport migrants en masse. Francis has made caring for migrants a hallmark of his papacy.

Vance, who converted to Catholicism in 2019, met with the Vatican secretary of state and foreign minister on Saturday.

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Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.

Nicole Winfield, The Associated Press