The king and queen first met the pontiff when they visited Italy in April 2017, and in 2019, Charles met him once more when he visited the Vatican to attend a St. Peter’s Square ceremony canonizing 5 new saints. However, April’s go to was their first since Charles ascended to the throne and grew to become the head of the Church of England. Pope Francis additionally met Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip throughout their 2014 visit to the Vatican.
On Monday morning, Vance additionally shared a message about the pope’s demise. Vance, who transformed to Catholicism six years in the past, met with the pope on Sunday morning as part of a bigger go to to the Vatican. “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,” he stated on his X (previously Twitter) account. “I was happy to see him yesterday, though he was obviously very ill.” He added the hyperlink to a homily that Francis shared in 2020, early in the COVID-19 pandemic.
Vance’s journey started with a Saturday assembly with two of the pope’s high deputies, Cardinal Pietro Parolin and Archbishop Paul Gallagher. According to the Vatican, the assembly included “an exchange of opinions” relating to worldwide conflicts and “difficult humanitarian situations, with particular attention to migrants, refugees, and prisoners.”
On Sunday, Vance returned for a 15-minute assembly with Pope Francis in the papal residence, Casa Santa Marta, as Easter Mass happened at St. Paul’s Basilica. In a video launched afterward, the pope thanked Vance for his go to by way of an interpreter. “I know you’ve not been feeling great, but it’s good to see you in better health,” Vance said. “I pray for you every day.”
Following the encounter, Vance met his family for Easter Mass at St. Paul’s, earlier than later boarding a aircraft to India. Francis went to the balcony over St. Peter’s Square, the place his Easter message was learn by Archbishop Diego Ravelli. It included a number of pointed feedback about migrants, which has develop into one of Vance’s signature issues as a member of the Trump administration.
“How much contempt is stirred up at times towards the vulnerable, the marginalized, and migrants,” the pope’s message read. “On this day, I would like all of us to hope anew and to revive our trust in others, including those who are different than ourselves, or who come from distant lands, bringing unfamiliar customs, ways of life and ideas.”
