After a brief meeting between Vice President JD Vance and Pope Francis on Easter Sunday, the pontiff died hours later — sparking a wave of dark humor online, with users sarcastically asking the vice president to meet with controversial global figures next.
Vance, who converted to Catholicism in 2019, visited Italy over Easter weekend to meet with Italian leaders and celebrate the holiday with his family. During his visit, he met briefly and privately with Pope Francis, NPR reported.
Their Sunday morning conversation was cordial, and Vance expressed well wishes for the pope's health. However, tensions between the Vatican and the White House had been mounting for months, particularly over the Trump administration's immigration policies — which Pope Francis had labeled "not Christian."
The following morning, Pope Francis' death was announced. While Vance offered a respectful public tribute, recalling the pope's COVID-era homilies, social media quickly turned the situation into a meme.
@illy.willie Not the best timing but at least you went out swinging
♬ original sound - Gen.task
Jokes flooded platforms, with one viral comment reading, "Can you meet Putin next?" Others told the vice president, "Now please don't meet with anyone else in the future."
Can you meet with Putin next?
— Dispropaganda (@Dispropoganda) April 21, 2025
Now please don't meet anyone else in future.
— Adv. Strange Tyagi (@strrrange_dr5) April 21, 2025
The irony of the situation was not lost on many, especially given Francis' recent and pointed criticisms of U.S. immigration crackdowns and Vance's defense of those policies.
While the Vatican has emphasized the need for "serene collaboration" with the U.S. on issues like war, humanitarian crises, and immigration, public reaction to the meeting has added a bizarre twist to an already fraught relationship.
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