VATICAN CITY (AP) 鈥� U.S. met Saturday with the Vatican's No. 2 official amid tensions over the U.S. crackdown on migrants, with the Holy See reaffirming good relations but noting 鈥渁n exchange of opinions鈥� over current international conflicts, migrants and prisoners.
Vance, , met with the secretary of state, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, and the foreign minister, Archbishop Paul Gallagher, in the Apostolic Palace. There was no indication he met with Pope Francis, who has sharply cut back official duties during his recovery from pneumonia.
Vance's office said he and Parolin 鈥渄iscussed their shared religious faith, Catholicism in the United States, the plight of persecuted Christian communities around the world, and President Trump鈥檚 commitment to restoring world peace.鈥�
The Holy See has responded cautiously to the Trump administration while seeking to continue productive relations in keeping with its tradition of diplomatic neutrality.
It has expressed alarm over the administration's crackdown on migrants and while insisting on peaceful resolutions to the wars in and
Those concerns were reflected in the Vatican statement, which said the talks were cordial and that the Vatican expressed satisfaction with the administration's commitment to protecting freedom of religion and conscience.
"There was an exchange of opinions on the international situation, especially regarding countries affected by war, political tensions and difficult humanitarian situations, with particular attention to migrants, refugees, and prisoners," the statement said. 鈥淔inally, hope was expressed for serene collaboration between the state and the Catholic Church in the United States, whose valuable service to the most vulnerable people was acknowledged.鈥�
The reference to 鈥渟erene collaboration鈥� appeared to refer to Vance's assertion that the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops was in order to get federal funding. Top U.S. cardinals have pushed back strongly against the claim.
鈥淚t is clear that the approach of the current U.S. administration is very different from what we are used to and, especially in the West, from what we have relied on for many years," Parolin told La Repubblica daily on the eve of Vance's visit.
As the U.S. , Parolin reaffirmed Kyiv's right to its territorial integrity and insisted that any peace deal must not be 鈥渋mposed鈥� on Ukraine but 鈥渋s built patiently, day by day, with dialogue and mutual respect.鈥�
Vance was spending Easter weekend in Rome with his family and attended Good Friday services in St. Peter鈥檚 Basilica after meeting with On Saturday, after introducing his family to Parolin, the Vances got a private tour of the Sistine Chapel and later visited Rome's botanic garden, where one of his sons was seen in a plastic gladiator costume that is popular among Italian kids.
It wasn't immediately clear where they would celebrate Easter. Francis, for his part, indicated he hoped to attend Easter Mass that usually draws thousands to St. Peter's Square, according to the official Mass booklet and liturgical plans released Saturday.
Papal rebuke on migration, appeal for prisoners
Francis and Vance have and the Trump administration鈥檚 plans to deport migrants en masse. Francis has made caring for migrants a hallmark of his papacy and his progressive views on social justice issues have often put him at odds with members of the more conservative U.S. Catholic Church.
Francis also changed church teaching to say that capital punishment is inadmissible in all cases. After a public appeal from Francis just weeks before Trump took office, President Joe Biden commuted the sentences of 37 of the 40 people on federal death row. Trump is an outspoken proponent of expanding capital punishment.
Vance, who converted to Catholicism in 2019, identifies with a small Catholic intellectual movement, viewed by some critics as having reactionary or authoritarian leanings, that is
Postliberals share some longstanding Catholic conservative views, such as opposition to abortion and LGBTQ+ rights. They envision a counterrevolution in which they take over government bureaucracy and institutions like universities from within, replacing entrenched 鈥渆lites鈥� with their own and acting upon their vision of the 鈥渃ommon good.鈥�
Just days before he was hospitalized in February, Francis blasted the Trump administration鈥檚 deportation plans, warning that they would deprive migrants of their inherent dignity. In a letter to U.S. bishops, Francis also appeared to respond to Vance directly for having such policies.
A Latin concept of love
Vance had defended the administration鈥檚 America-first crackdown by citing a concept from medieval Catholic theology known in Latin as 鈥渙rdo amoris.鈥� He has said the concept delineates a hierarchy of care 鈥� to family first, followed by neighbor, community, fellow citizens and lastly those elsewhere.
In his Feb. 10 letter, Francis appeared to correct Vance鈥檚 understanding of the concept.
鈥淐hristian love is not a concentric expansion of interests that little by little extends to other persons and groups,鈥� he wrote. 鈥淭he true ordo amoris that must be promoted is that which we discover by meditating constantly on the parable of the 鈥楪ood Samaritan,鈥� that is, by meditating on the love that builds a fraternity open to all, without exception.鈥�
Vance has but has said he would continue to defend his views. During a Feb. 28 appearance at the National Catholic Prayer Breakfast in Washington, Vance didn鈥檛 address the issue specifically but called himself a 鈥渂aby Catholic鈥� and acknowledged there are 鈥渢hings about the faith that I don鈥檛 know.鈥�
While he had criticized Francis on social media in the past, Vance recently has posted prayers for Francis鈥� recovery.
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This version corrects the first name of Gallagher.
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Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP鈥檚 with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.
Nicole Winfield, The Associated Press
