Vance and Rubio meet with pope in push to reset relations with Vatican

Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio recently met with Pope Leo XIII during President Trump's efforts to rebuild relations with the Vatican, addressing the war in Ukraine and downplaying migrant policy tensions. The Pope emphasized peace efforts in regions marked by hardship for children and young lives, while Vice President Vance exchanged gifts like a Chicago Bears jersey and a book by St. Augustine as part of their meeting, noting his recent Catholicism conversion. The encounter reflects growing tensions between Trump's nationalism and the Pope's emphasis on moral and spiritual values, with mixed reactions from church officials and critics.