Pope Leo XIV welcomed U.S. Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio to the Vatican on Monday, as the United States ramps up efforts to broker a ceasefire in the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
Photos released by the Vatican showed the Chicago-born pontiff warmly greeting the American delegation. The meeting comes just one day after over 200,000 dignitaries, royals, and worshippers gathered in St. Peter’s Square for the official inauguration of Leo’s papacy.
Peace has emerged as a defining theme for Pope Leo, 69, who was elected on May 8 as spiritual leader of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics. The meeting with Vance and Rubio focused in part on the Biden administration’s renewed push to end the war triggered by Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
President Donald Trump is also expected to speak with Russian President Vladimir Putin later Monday, continuing the diplomatic momentum around a possible resolution to the conflict.
In addition to the audience with Pope Leo, Vice President Vance met with the Vatican’s Secretary for Relations with States, Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher. According to a statement, the two engaged in “cordial talks” and affirmed strong bilateral ties while exchanging views on international crises and emphasizing the need to uphold humanitarian and international law in conflict zones.
The Vatican noted that several high-level meetings occurred on the sidelines of the pope’s inauguration, with discussions centering on both the Ukraine war and Israel’s ongoing military operations in Gaza.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who also attended the inauguration mass, held his first private audience with Pope Leo on Sunday. He later met with Vance and Rubio to reinforce their “shared goal of ending the bloodshed in Ukraine,” according to the vice president’s office.
Pope Leo has signaled a willingness to serve as a mediator in global conflicts, recently declaring, “I will make every effort so that this peace may prevail.” Vatican Secretary of State Pietro Parolin indicated the Holy See might even host direct negotiations between the warring parties.
Vance’s meeting with Pope Leo lasted 45 minutes, his office confirmed. Despite prior criticism from Leo—who, before becoming pope, reposted social media critiques of Trump’s administration and of Vance himself—the vice president expressed admiration for the new pontiff.
“We are very proud of him,” Vance said Sunday. “Our prayers go with him as he starts this very important work.”
Vance, who converted to Catholicism in 2019, and Rubio, also a Catholic, discussed with the Vatican broader issues of religious freedom and church-state collaboration, particularly in areas facing political and social upheaval.
Pope Leo begins his papacy amid deep divisions within the Catholic Church, especially in the U.S., where debates over Francis-era reforms and declining church attendance remain pressing challenges.