Pope Francis briefly met with Vice President JD Vance as we speak before giving the traditional Easter blessing from the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica, which marked his highest-profile look but since being discharged from hospital.
The Pope had a short non-public assembly with Vance, a religious Catholic, which “supplied a possibility to trade Easter greetings,” in accordance with the Vatican.
The pope gifted the vice chairman a tie, rosaries and three chocolate Easter eggs for Vance’s three youngsters, video launched by EWTN TV, a Catholic tv community, confirmed.
“So good to see you … You’ve not been feeling nice, however it’s good to see you in higher well being,” the vice chairman may be heard saying to the Pope throughout their assembly. “I pray for you on daily basis.”
An announcement from the vice chairman’s workplace later expressed gratitude “for the hospitality the Vatican has prolonged to his household.”
Current tensions: At the moment’s assembly adopted discussions between the vice chairman and senior Vatican officers yesterday, throughout which an “trade of opinions” passed off regarding migrants, refugees and prisoners, in accordance with a Vatican assertion.
The vice chairman’s workplace described the assembly with Cardinal Pietro Parolin as having centered on “their shared spiritual religion, Catholicism in the US, the plight of persecuted Christian communities around the globe, and President Trump’s dedication to restoring world peace.”
Simply earlier than he was hospitalized in mid-February, Francis issued a rebuke of the Trump administration’s immigration coverage and refuted the vice chairman’s use of a theological idea, the “ordo amoris” (“order of affection” or “order of charity”), to defend the administration’s strategy.
And after Catholic bishops criticized the Trump administration’s actions earlier this yr, Vance advised they have been motivated by their “backside line,” because the Catholic Church receives authorities cash to assist resettle immigrants.
Parolin informed the Italian newspaper La Repubblica forward of yesterday’s talks with Vance that the Trump administration is “very completely different from what we’re used to and, particularly within the West, from what we have now relied on for a few years.”
This publish has been up to date with further particulars on the assembly.
