US Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, both Catholics, will attend Pope Leo XIV’s inaugural Mass at the Vatican on May 18. The Mass is scheduled for 10 a.m. Rome time in St. Peter’s Square, marking the beginning of Pope Leo XIV’s pontificate as the first US-born pope.
Vance, a convert to Catholicism, congratulated the pope on his elevation, stating, “Millions of American Catholics and other Christians will pray for his successful work leading the Church.” However, prior posts from Pope Leo XIV’s account criticizing the Trump administration’s deportation and migration policies resurfaced after his papacy was announced. Vance addressed this issue, saying he won’t “play the politicization of the pope game.” He added, “I’m sure he’s going to say a lot of things that I love, and I’m sure he’ll say some things that I disagree with, but I’ll continue to pray for him and the Church despite it all and through it all.”
Vance emphasized the Church’s role in saving souls and spreading the Gospel, noting that it will occasionally touch on public policy. “The Church is about saving souls and about spreading the Gospel… And yeah, it’s going to touch public policy from time to time as all human institutions do, but that’s not really what it’s about.” Rubio shared similar views, stating, “I don’t view the papacy as a political office” but rather a spiritual one.
Rubio highlighted the Church’s strong social doctrine teachings, saying, “We, too, are compassionate towards migrants.” However, he argued that mass migration and open borders can be detrimental, allowing human trafficking and criminals to enter the country. “I would argue there’s nothing compassionate about mass migration. There’s nothing compassionate about open borders that allows people to be trafficked here. [It’s not compassionate] to the American people [either], … flooding our country with individuals that are criminals and prey on our communities.”
Pope Leo XIV has emphasized his commitment to serving the marginalized and promoting missionary outreach. In his inaugural Mass, he urged focus on healing societal wounds and addressing declining faith. Vance’s attendance at the Mass follows his meeting with Pope Francis on April 20, where they exchanged Easter greetings and the pope gave Vance gifts for his family.