Overview

• Vice President JD Vance met with Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin on April 19, 2025, to discuss migration, humanitarian issues, and global conflicts.
• The Vatican characterized the meeting as a 'cordial exchange of opinions,' reflecting ongoing tensions over the Trump administration's hardline immigration policies.
• Vance's visit follows trade negotiations with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who has positioned herself as a mediator between the U.S. and the European Union.
• Pope Francis, recovering from pneumonia, did not attend the meeting but has previously criticized the U.S. administration's migration policies as undermining human dignity.
• The Vatican emphasized the importance of collaboration with the U.S. Catholic Church in serving vulnerable populations, despite disagreements over policy directions.