US’ Vance and Pope Leo XIV discuss conflicts at private audience

ROME — U.S. Vice President JD Vance was received by Pope Leo XIV on Monday for a private audience, at the end of his visit to Rome.

The head of the Catholic Church met Vance and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the Vatican. This was followed by a meeting between the U.S. guests and Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, the Vatican’s secretary for relations with foreign states.

The Holy See reported that there was an “exchange of views” on current wars around the world during the meetings.

The parties involved were called on to have “respect for humanitarian law and international law in areas of conflict” and to reach “a negotiated solution,” a statement from the Vatican said.

Specific wars were not mentioned in the statement.

On Sunday, Leo explicitly mentioned Gaza, Myanmar and Ukraine during a mass in St Peter’s Square.

The U.S. vice president attended the official inauguration of Leo XIV, who was born in from Chicago, on Sunday.

The top officials commented on “satisfaction at the good bilateral relations” between the Holy See and the United States, the Vatican said.

This was Vance’s second private audience at the Vatican in a month. At Easter, he was received by Pope Francis, who died the following day, Easter Monday, at the age of 88.