On Saturday, Vice President JD Vance went to the Vatican's Apostolic Palace to meet with Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin and the Foreign Minister, Archbishop Paul Gallagher.
Following the meeting, which followed the Pope's rebuke of the Trump administration's harsh immigration agenda, the Holy See acknowledged "an exchange of opinions."
Parolin and Vance "discussed their shared religious faith, Catholicism in the United States, the plight of persecuted Christian communities around the world, and President Trump's commitment to restoring world peace."
In addition to its concern about the Trump administration's treatment of migrants, the Holy See has publicly supported peaceful conclusions to the conflicts in Ukraine and in Gaza.
"There was an exchange of opinions on the international situation, especially regarding countries affected by war, political tensions and difficult humanitarian situations, with particular attention to migrants, refugees, and prisoners," the Vatican's statement said. "Finally, hope was expressed for serene collaboration between the state and the Catholic Church in the United States, whose valuable service to the most vulnerable people was acknowledged."
Vance has previously claimed that the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, which assists with the resettlement of refugees, is helping resettle "illegal immigrants" and is only doing so to receive federal funding.
"It is clear that the approach of the current U.S. administration is very different from what we are used to and, especially in the West, from what we have relied on for many years," Parolin told La Repubblica.
Parolin also continued to support an end to the war in Ukraine, reiterating the nation's right to self-determination and insisting that any peace deal should not be imposed upon Kyiv but should instead be "built patiently, day by day, with dialogue and mutual respect."
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