BREAKING: Vice President JD Vance to attend Inaugural Mass of Pope Leo in Rome this weekend

Vice President JD Vance is set to attend Pope Leo XIV’s inaugural mass in Rome over the weekend. Vance will lead a US delegation to Vatican City to attend the mass that will take place on Sunday.

Vance, a Catholic convert, and his wife, Usha, will be joined by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and his wife, Jeanette. 

Vance had met with the prior leader of the church, Pope Francis, just one day prior to his death, being the last foreign leader to do so. Pope Francis died on April 21, just one day after Easter, after a winter that was filled with health battles and hospitalization. Vance wrote in the wake of Pope Francis’ passing, "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."

On May 8, very shortly into the conclave process, Robert Francis Prevost was selected as the next leader of the church, marking the first pope to be selected from the United States of America. Vance wrote after the new pope was selected, "Congratulations to Leo XIV, the first American Pope, on his election! I’m sure millions of American Catholics and other Christians will pray for his successful work leading the Church. May God bless him!"

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