Pope Leo XIV and US President JD Vance had important meeting at the Vatican on Monday, May 19.
This meeting comes just before the US began major diplomatic efforts to push for ceasefire in the Russia-Ukraine war.
The Vatican confirmed a meeting took place between Vance and Pope Leo but did not reveal any details about their conversation.
Vance’s spokesperson said the meeting started with a private conversation between Pope Leo XIV and Vance and afterward, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio joined them.
However, as per multiple outlets, during the in-person meeting, the Holy See said that both US representatives and the Vatican were pleased with the current state of their relationship.
Unconfirmed Pope Leo social media post sparks controversy:
Pope Leo, formerly Cardinal Robert Prevost, officially became the leader of the Catholic Church during a large outdoor Mass at St Peter’s Square on Thursday, May 8, 2025.
In February, a social media account pretending to be Pope Leo criticized the White House’s plan to deport many migrants.
The account also shared an article saying that JD Vance was wrong and "Jesus doesn't ask us to rank our love for others."
But it has not been confirmed yet whether the account really belongs to Pope Leo or not.
