J.D. Vance Honors Pope Francis in Touching Tribute Following His Easter Monday Passing [WATCH]

Vice President J.D. Vance offered a heartfelt tribute to Pope Francis on social media following the pontiff’s death on Easter Monday, just hours after the two briefly met at the Vatican, as reported by The New York Post.

Vance posted his statement on X, writing, “I just learned of the passing of Pope Francis. My heart goes out to the millions of Christians all over the world who loved him. I was happy to see him yesterday, though he was obviously very ill. But I’ll always remember him for the below homily he gave in the very early days of COVID. It was really quite beautiful. May God rest his soul.”

I just learned of the passing of Pope Francis. My heart goes out to the millions of Christians all over the world who loved him.

I was happy to see him yesterday, though he was obviously very ill. But I’ll always remember him for the below homily he gave in the very early days…

— JD Vance (@JDVance) April 21, 2025

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The 88-year-old Pope died after a prolonged battle with double pneumonia. According to the Vatican, his meeting with Vance was brief.

The two met shortly after Easter Mass on Sunday. Though the Pope’s health was reportedly in decline, the Vatican did not release any indication that his death was imminent.

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Vance, a Catholic convert since 2019, also met with senior Vatican officials, including Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin and Foreign Minister Archbishop Paul Gallagher.

The vice president’s meetings centered on global diplomatic relations, but reports indicated that Francis remained mostly removed from formal discussions, likely due to his condition.

Despite a history of sharp disagreements with the Trump administration, particularly regarding immigration enforcement, Pope Francis greeted Vance warmly and reportedly gifted him three chocolate Easter eggs for his children.

JD Vance speaks out following the passing of Pope Francis who passed away just hours after meeting with the Vice President.

Pope Francis called for peace in Gaza and Ukraine in his final Easter blessing.

“I just learned of the passing of Pope Francis. My heart goes out to the… pic.twitter.com/RhpVoLrDDf

— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) April 21, 2025

Earlier this year, Pope Francis had issued a letter to U.S. bishops criticizing the Trump administration’s deportation policies, describing them as harmful to human dignity.

“The act of deporting people who in many cases have left their own land for reasons of extreme poverty, insecurity, exploitation, persecution or serious deterioration of the environment, damages the dignity of many men and women, and of entire families, and places them in a state of particular vulnerability and defenselessness.”

Vance did not address the criticism in his statement but focused instead on his personal encounter and the Pope’s spiritual leadership.

Pope Francis, born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on December 17, 1936, became the 266th pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church on March 13, 2013.

He was the first Jesuit pope, the first from the Americas, and the first to choose the name Francis. He was ordained a priest in 1969, became Archbishop of Buenos Aires in 1998, and was made cardinal by St. John Paul II in 2001.

His papacy was marked by outreach to the marginalized, environmental advocacy, and frequent criticism of Western political leaders over economic and border policies.

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