US Vice President, Secretary of State Attend Inauguration of First American Pope in Rome

Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio will lead a U.S. delegation, including their spouses, to attend the inaugural Mass of Pope Leo XIV, the first American pope, at St. Peter's Square. Vance, who converted to Catholicism in 2019, recently met with the late Pope Francis shortly before his death and has publicly congratulated Pope Leo on his election. Despite Pope Leo's prior criticisms of both Vance and former President Donald Trump, particularly on immigration policies and theological interpretations, Vance acknowledges the potential for both conflict and common ground with the new pontiff, emphasizing the Church's mission beyond American politics. The inauguration marks a significant moment for American Catholics and the global Catholic community of approximately 1.4 billion, who look to Pope Leo for guidance on critical issues such as immigration, abortion, capital punishment, and LGBTQ+ relations. The U.S. delegation's attendance underscores the importance of this historic papal transition and the complex interplay between faith and politics in the United States.