He Pope Francis This Sunday received the United States vice president JD Vance, regardless of Easter celebrations, announced the Vatican, two months after the Supreme Pontiff harshly criticized the immigration policy of the Government of Donald Trump.
This “private encounter” of “a few minutes” took place “shortly after 11:30 (09h30 GMT)” in the residence of Santa Marta, where the Pope lives in the Vatican.
The vice president, converted to Catholicism in 2019, attended the ceremony accompanied by his wife, Usha, and his three children – one of them in his arms -, located in the front row in front of the papal altar.
JD Vance is part of the ultraconservative wing of Catholicism in the United States And he has repeatedly expressed his differences with Pope Francis, especially in issues such as immigration policy. While the Pontiff promotes a position of reception and inclusion towards migrants, Vance supports more restrictive measures, aligned with the policies driven by Donald Trump.
In that framework, The Vatican has publicly expressed disagreement with the cuts to international cooperation and mass deportations carried out during the previous administration. In fact, on February 11, Pope Francis sent a letter to the US bishops in which he warned that forced deportations “They hurt the dignity of many men,” and urged the Church in that country not to give in “before narratives that discriminate and cause unnecessary suffering to our migrant brothers and refugees.”
Condemns the global rearmament and the attack on civilians
The Pope dedicated part of his Easter message to condemn the arms escalation at the international level. “Peace is not possible without a real disarmament,” he said, warning that “The legitimate need for each nation to protect should not lead to a generalized career by rearma.”
Within that framework, he urged political leaders to resist the logic of fear and to prioritize the use of resources in development initiatives, fight against hunger and assistance to the most vulnerable. “These are the true weapons of peace: those that build the future, not those that sow death,” he said.
Not explicitly mentioning Gaza, the Pontiff harshly criticized attacks on hospitals, schools and humanitarian workers. “Faced with the cruelty of conflicts that hit defenseless civilians, We cannot lose sight of the fact that behind each objective attacked there are people with soul and dignity. The principle of humanity should not weaken”He stressed.
Source: Ambito
