Pope Leo meets with US Vice President Vance, Foreign Minister Rubio

Vation City (CNS) -AM day after his inauguration, Pope Leo XIV had a meeting with a closed door in the Vatican with the US Vice President JD Vance, who gave him a Chicago Bears jersey and a letter from US President Donald Trump.

Vance provided President Trump and his wife Melania’s letter before the meeting began, as can be seen from a video published and published by the Vatican media. The short video clip showed that Vance gave the Pope a big envelope and told him that it was a letter “from the President and First Lady, who invites her …”. The rest of the sentence was shortened.

The Vice President also met Archbishop Paul R. Gallagher, the Vatican Foreign Minister on May 19, after meeting the Pope.

The Vatican press office published a communique in which only the general topics were discussed with Archbishop Gallagher during the “warm discussions in the secretariat of the state”. The two parties expressed their satisfaction with the “good bilateral relationships” between them, and “the cooperation between the church and the state, and some affairs were discussed of particular importance for church life and religious freedom”.

“After all, there was an exchange of views on some current international questions that demanded respect for humanitarian law and international law in conflict areas and for a negotiated solution between the parties involved,” said the Vatican.

Her spouses and the larger US delegation for photos and an exchange of gifts were accompanied by the two US leaders.

One of the gifts of the US delegation was a dark blue and orange jersey of the Chicago Bears Football team with “Pope Leo XIV” on the back. The new Pope, born in Chicago, replied with “good choice” when the Vice President showed him the jersey, according to the Vatican media clips.

Vances office said that he also gave the Pope the books “The City of God” and “On Christian Lehr”, both written by St. Augustine, the founder of the religious order who joined the Pope at the age of 21.

Among the gifts, Pope Leo was a bronze-based relief of a flower flower with an inscription that the Pope according to the Vatican media video according to “Peace is a fragile flower”.

When the Pope presented a large book with colored photographs that he gave Vance, the Pope explained a photo of the apostolic palace with the inscription: “Pope Francis did not live (here) and I can live there (there) that is from above from above.”

Vance also told the Pope: “The United States are very excited about them”, whereupon the Pope answered with an “Oh”, a smile and a nod.

According to Vice President Vance, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio was present for some of the meeting with the Pope after Vances one-to-one meeting.

According to the Vice President’s office, the papal audience lasted 45 minutes.

Vance and Rubio were in Rome to represent the United States in the Pope’s first trade fair on St. Peter’s Square on May 18. They were accompanied by their spouses and high -ranking aids of the White House at the fair, which pulled more than 200,000 people.

Later on May 18, Vance and Rubio also met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who was also for the Pope’s opening mass in Rome.

In a contribution to X said Vance: “Our countries share the goal of ending unnecessary bloodshed in Ukraine, and we have discussed updates about the ongoing negotiations for an armistice and permanent peace.”

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