Leo XIV received Vance and Rubio at the Vatican
The pontiff and the politicians held "cordial conversations" and exchanged "views on various current international issues."
Rubio and Vance, during the meeting with Leo XIV.
(AFP) Pope Leo XIV received US Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State, Marco Rubio at the Vatican on Monday, a US government spokesman said, the day after both attended the pontiff's inaugural Mass.
The Vatican released photographs of Vance and Rubio, both Catholics, smiling as they met with Leo XIV, the first U.S. pope in history, elected by the College of Cardinals on May 8. The meeting lasted about 45 minutes, according to a spokesman for the U.S. vice president.
Vance later met with the Vatican Secretary for Relations with States, Paul Richard Gallagher, according to the Holy See.
"Cordial talks"
"During the cordial talks held at the Secretariat of State, satisfaction with the good bilateral relations was reiterated, and collaboration between Church and State was discussed, as well as some matters of particular importance, concerning ecclesiastical life and religious freedom," the Vatican said in a statement.
"Finally, there was an exchange of views on several current international issues, where there was a call to respect humanitarian and international legislation in conflict zones, and to find a negotiated solution between the parties involved," the Holy See added.
Last week, Leo XIV offered his mediation to the leaders of countries in conflict. On Sunday, after Mass, he referred specifically to the "marred Ukraine" and the famine in the Gaza Strip.
Vance and Rubio attended the Inauguration Mass of Leo XIV
The pontiff also received in audience Sunday the Ukrainian leader, Volodimyr Zelensky, who on Feb. 28 was publicly berated at the White House by Vance and President Donald Trump, who called him ungrateful for the aid Washington granted Kiev in the face of the Russian invasion.
Vance and Rubio were the day before among around 200,000 participants in the Mass for the inauguration of Pope Leo XIV, in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican.
Also there were the president of Peru, Dina Boluarte, who was received by the pontiff on Sunday, as well as the presidents of Colombia, Gustavo Petro, Ecuador, Daniel Noboa, and Paraguay, Santiago Peña.
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