Camille Naredo

Article (news)

Pope Leo XIV

Agence France-Presse

<p>VATICAN CITY, Holy See (<strong>UPDATED</strong>) -- Pope Leo XIV received US Vice President JD Vance and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the Vatican Monday, ahead of a US-led push to end the Russia-Ukraine conflict.</p><p>The Vatican released photographs of Vance and Rubio smiling as they met with the Chicago-born pope, who was elected as head of the world&#x27;s 1.4 billion Catholics on May 8.</p><p>The pair were among the 200,000 dignitaries, royals and faithful gathered Sunday to mark the official start of Leo&#x27;s papacy at an inauguration mass in St Peter&#x27;s Square.</p><p>Leo, 69, has made peace the key word of his papacy so far and was expected to talk to Vance and Rubio about the US administration&#x27;s role in pushing for an end to the Russia-Ukraine conflict in particular.</p><p>US President Donald Trump will hold a phone call with Russia&#x27;s Vladimir Putin later Monday as part of his efforts to end the war set off by Moscow&#x27;s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.</p><p>Vance also met Monday with the Holy See&#x27;s Secretary for Relations with States, Paul Richard Gallagher, for &quot;cordial talks&quot; during which they expressed &quot;satisfaction at the good bilateral relations&quot;, the Vatican said.</p><p>There was also &quot;an exchange of views on some current international issues, calling for respect for humanitarian law and international law in areas of conflict and for a negotiated solution between the parties involved&quot;, it said.</p><p>There was a flurry of diplomatic meetings on the sidelines of Leo&#x27;s inauguration, with world dignitaries discussing both Israel&#x27;s offensive in Gaza and the Ukraine conflict.</p><p>Ukraine&#x27;s President Volodymyr Zelensky, who was present at the inauguration mass, met with Leo for his first private audience Sunday.</p><p>He also sat down with Vance and Rubio to discuss &quot;their shared goal of ending the bloodshed in Ukraine,&quot; according to the vice president&#x27;s office.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/world/2025/5/18/leo-xivs-inauguration-mass-begins-in-st-peter-s-square-1641">READ: Pope Leo XIV warns against exploitation at inaugural mass</a></div><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/world/2025/5/18/pope-greets-world-leaders-after-inaugural-mass-meets-ukraines-zelenskiy-0033">READ: Pope greets world leaders after inaugural Mass, meets Ukraine&#x27;s Zelenskiy</a></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>- &#x27;Every effort&#x27; -</strong></div><p>Leo offered last week to mediate between leaders of countries at war, saying that he himself &quot;will make every effort so that this peace may prevail&quot;.</p><p>And the pope&#x27;s number two, Secretary of State Pietro Parolin, said Friday Leo &quot;may offer the Vatican for a direct meeting between the two parties&quot;, according to media reports.</p><p>Vance&#x27;s audience with Leo lasted 45 minutes, the VP&#x27;s spokesperson said.</p><p>Before becoming pope, Leo reposted on his personal X account criticism of US President Donald Trump&#x27;s administration over its approach to migration and also pilloried Vance.</p><p>But Vance insisted Sunday that the United States was &quot;very proud of him&quot;, adding that &quot;our prayers go with him as he starts this very important work&quot;.</p><p>JD Vance converted to Catholicism in 2019 and Rubio is also a Catholic.</p><p>Vance and Gallagher also discussed &quot;collaboration between Church and State... as well as some matters of special relevance to ecclesial life and religious freedom,&quot; the Vatican said.</p><p>Leo, who was elected following the death of his predecessor Pope Francis last month, is tasked with tackling a series of pressing challenges facing the Catholic Church.</p><p>These include a bitter divide between supporters of Francis&#x27;s reforms and conservative opponents, particularly in the US, as well as increasingly empty pews in the West. -- Ella IDE</p><div><strong>© Agence France-Presse</strong></div><div><br/></div><div></div>

<p>Pope Leo XIV received US Vice President JD Vance and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the Vatican Monday, ahead of a US-led push to end the Russia-Ukraine conflict.</p>

Pope Leo XIV received US Vice President JD Vance and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the Vatican Monday, ahead of a US-led push to end the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

Pope meets Vance ahead of Ukraine ceasefire push

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Pope meets Vance ahead of Ukraine ceasefire push

Agence France-Presse

Published May 19, 2025 05:12 PM PHT

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Updated May 19, 2025 06:49 PM PHT

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Pope Leo XIV

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Marco Rubio

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