Vance to Attend Historic Inaugural Mass for Pope Leo XIV at Vatican

Vice President JD Vance will travel to Vatican City this Sunday to lead a U.S. delegation attending the inaugural Mass of Pope Leo XIV, marking a historic moment as the first American pope officially begins his papacy.

Vance, a Catholic convert and the first to serve as Vice President, will be joined by Second Lady Usha Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Jeanette Rubio, all of whom are practicing Catholics.

“Vice President JD Vance will lead a U.S. Delegation to Vatican City to attend the inaugural Mass of His Holiness Pope Leo XIV,” the vice president’s office announced Thursday.

The ceremony follows the May 8 election of Cardinal Robert Prevost as the new pope. Born in Chicago and having spent much of his priesthood in Peru, the 69-year-old Pope Leo XIV brings a distinctly American background to the Holy See while maintaining a reputation for theological firmness and diplomatic centrism.

Pope Leo XIV previously served as Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops, where he played a crucial role in vetting and recommending bishops worldwide a position to which he was appointed by Pope Francis in 2023.

While Leo’s past social media activity reveals differences with the Trump administration including criticism of immigration policies and subtle jabs at Vance’s views on Christian priorities both Trump and Vance responded to his election with grace and encouragement.

“It is such an honor to realize that he is the first American Pope. What excitement, and what a Great Honor for our Country,” President Trump posted on Truth Social. “I look forward to meeting Pope Leo XIV. It will be a very meaningful moment!”

Vance also offered his congratulations via X:

“I’m sure millions of American Catholics and other Christians will pray for his successful work leading the Church. May God bless him!”

This isn’t Vance’s first visit to the Vatican. Just last month, he attended Pope Francis’ funeral with the president. And on Good Friday, the Vance family participated in the Passion of Christ Mass at St. Peter’s Basilica.

The moment is deeply symbolic: an American vice president and an American pope both sharing the world stage at a time when faith, culture, and geopolitics increasingly collide.

For many, this marks a new era in the Church’s relationship with the United States. Though ideological differences remain, the mutual respect expressed by Trump and Vance demonstrates that faith can still bridge political divides at least where leadership has the humility to recognize the sacred.

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