Rome, Italy — U.S. Vice President JD Vance met with Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni in Rome on Friday for a second round of high-stakes talks on tariffs, just a day after their Oval Office meeting with former President Donald Trump. The two leaders later attended Good Friday services at the Vatican, fueling speculation of a potential meeting between Vance and Pope Francis over the weekend.
Greeting Vance at the Chigi Palace, Meloni joked, “I’ve been missing you,” referencing their back-to-back meetings. Their discussions centered on transatlantic trade tensions and the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, with Vance stating that negotiations with the European Union remain a priority.
The White House and Meloni’s office issued a joint statement confirming that Trump would visit Italy “in the very near future,” adding that a broader U.S.-EU meeting is also under consideration.
“This visit is another great opportunity to strengthen our bilateral cooperation,” Meloni said, emphasizing Italy’s vital role as a U.S. partner in Europe and the Mediterranean.
Vance, a Catholic convert, later attended the solemn Good Friday service at St. Peter’s Basilica alongside his wife and children. Though Pope Francis was absent due to health concerns, Vance is scheduled to meet with Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin on Saturday. While no official meeting with the Pope has been announced, Vatican insiders have not ruled out the possibility.
The potential audience with Francis comes against the backdrop of past tensions. Vance has previously criticized the Pope’s stance on migration, clashing with the pontiff’s emphasis on humanitarian care. Francis, in turn, appeared to rebut Vance’s theological justifications for U.S. immigration policies in a February letter to American bishops, urging a more inclusive interpretation of Christian doctrine.
As the Easter weekend unfolds, all eyes remain on Rome, where diplomacy, religion, and politics continue to intersect in complex and symbolic ways.
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