Pope Francis urged to ‘excommunicate’ JD Vance as he skips formal meeting with US vice president

Pope Francis, who has returned to some duties after a five-week stay in hospital with severe double pneumonia, decided to skip a formal meeting with US vice president JD Vance, opting to send his deputy to discuss the issue of “migrants, refugees and prisoners” with him instead.

The pontiff has been vocal about US president Donald Trump’s stance on immigration. In January he condemned the Republican’s mass deportation plan and said “it will be a disgrace”.

He also appeared to criticise Vance’s invocation of the Latin phrase “ordo amoris” - ‘order of love’ – in a letter to US bishops in February, writing that the “true” meaning of the phrase concerns “the parable of the ‘Good Samaritan’” and “love that builds a fraternity open to all, without exception”.

Sky News cite sources who say Vance – a Catholic - did meet with the Pope, but that it was a “quick and private” meeting.

A more official meeting occurred between the VP and Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin, with the Vatican saying in a statement on Saturday: “During the cordial talks, satisfaction was expressed for the good existing bilateral relations between the Holy See and the United States of America, and the common commitment to protect the right to freedom of religion and conscience was reiterated.

“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. Other issues of mutual interest were also discussed.

“Finally, 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.”

But this meeting with the pontiff’s deputy has since seen Pope Francis praised for skipping a more formal conversation with Vance:

One Twitter/X user wrote they “[have] to support anyone who hates JD Vance this much”:

“The Pope hates his guts,” declared another:

And others have called on the religious leader to “excommunicate” Vance – in other words, refuse to allow him to be involved in the Roman Catholic Church:

Vance is spending the Easter weekend in Rome, after meeting with Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni and attending a service at St Peter’s Basilica on Friday (Good Friday).

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