JD Vance’s Vatican visits center his Catholicism in his vice presidency

Vice President JD Vance, who converted to Catholicism after a period of atheism, recently visited the Vatican twice, meeting Pope Francis on Easter and attending the inaugural Mass for Pope Leo XIV, the first U.S.-born pope. Both pontiffs subtly criticized Vance’s alignment with former President Trump’s “America first” policies, while Vance has chosen to avoid direct confrontation regarding these critiques. His status as a prominent Catholic politician has been emphasized, especially as he navigates complex relations between faith and political ideology.