Vice President JD Vance extended an invitation to Pope Leo XIV during a meeting at the Vatican on Monday in an effort to make progress on a ceasefire in Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Vance presented the Chicago-born Pope Leo XIV with a letter from US President Donald Trump and the first lady inviting him to visit the United States. The pope accepted the letter and expressed his intentions to continue peace efforts in Ukraine.
The big picture: During the meeting, Vance, who converted to Catholicism in 2019, gifted the Augustinian pope with copies of two of St. Augustine’s significant works, The City of God and On Christian Doctrine. Additionally, Vance presented Leo with a personalized Chicago Bears T-shirt, garnering excitement from the American people.
- Leo reciprocated by giving Vance a bronze sculpture with the inscription “Peace is a fragile flower” and a picture book of the papal apartments in the Apostolic Palace, hinting at his living arrangements that were not yet finalized.
- Vance led a US delegation to the Vatican that included Secretary of State Marco Rubio, where discussions were held on international issues, emphasizing the importance of respect for humanitarian and international laws in conflict zones.
- The Vatican revealed that Leo’s brother, Louis Prevost, and his wife joined the delegation during the visit.
Go deeper: Following the formal Mass opening Leo’s pontificate, Vance engaged in separate meetings with various leaders, including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and Italy’s Premier Giorgia Meloni, laying the groundwork for future diplomatic efforts.
- Leo, a Chicago-born Augustinian missionary, has pledged to put forth every effort to help bring peace to Ukraine, aligning his mission with that of his predecessor, Pope Francis, who prioritized caring for migrants and the impoverished.
