JD Vance invited the Pope to the White House and got turned down. Now Marco Rubio is flying to the Vatican for a private meeting instead

The Vatican has confirmed that Secretary of State Marco Rubio will be meeting with Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican. This comes after the Pope turned down an invitation from Vice President JD Vance to visit the White House. The Vatican has not given a public reason for declining Vance’s invitation, but the decision has drawn significant attention given the political weight of both men.

Vance has been open about his Catholic faith since he converted to the religion at age 35. His attempts to build a connection with the new Pope have clearly not gone the way he hoped. The fact that the Vatican chose to decline his invitation while agreeing to meet with Rubio on the same week makes the contrast hard to ignore.

Rubio and Vance both serve in the Trump administration, but it is Rubio who has now become the White House’s point of contact with Pope Leo XIV. The Vatican confirmed the Thursday meeting, making it official that Rubio will represent the US in this private sit-down with the Pope, according to The Daily Beast. Rubio’s role as Secretary of State makes him the top US diplomat, so on a formal level, his involvement in Vatican talks makes sense.

The Pope’s rejection of Vance signals a growing rift between the Vatican and the Trump administration

Relations between Pope Leo XIV and the Trump administration have been tense for some time. The Pope has been openly critical of Trump’s approach to Iran, and the ongoing US-Iran standoff has been a key point of disagreement between the two sides. The Pope has also spoken out against violent actions by Trump’s supporters, which has added more friction to an already difficult relationship.

Given this tension, the Vatican’s choice to engage with Rubio rather than Vance is notable. The rejection of Vance’s White House invitation is being widely seen as a clear diplomatic snub, particularly given that Vance has publicly identified himself as a devoted Catholic. For the Vatican to sidestep him in favor of another administration official sends a strong message, whether intentional or not.

Rubio’s visit to Rome is part of a broader diplomatic trip that includes stops in several other countries. His meeting with the Pope is expected to cover issues where the Vatican and the US have differing views, including foreign policy and humanitarian concerns. The specific topics on the agenda have not been made public ahead of the meeting, but the tension over Iran is likely to come up given how vocal the Pope has been on the subject.

The Trump administration has also been making several moves on the home front that have drawn attention and debate. For instance, the new US passport design featuring Trump has sparked strong reactions from Americans, with many raising questions about the decision and whether they have any say in the matter. These kinds of developments have added to the broader conversation about the administration’s approach to governance and public image.

Back in Rome, Rubio’s Thursday meeting at the Vatican is being closely watched by political observers. The two sides have real disagreements on major global issues, and it is unclear whether one meeting will be enough to ease any of the existing tension. Rubio will need to navigate a tricky situation, representing an administration that the Pope has publicly criticized on more than one occasion, per The Independent.

For Vance, the situation is an uncomfortable one. He is a convert to Catholicism who has spoken at length about how his faith shapes his worldview and political thinking. Being passed over by the Vatican, while his colleague takes the meeting instead, is not a good look, especially for someone who is widely believed to have his eyes on a future presidential run. How this plays out in the long run for his public image remains to be seen.

What is clear right now is that Rubio has taken center stage in the White House’s relationship with the Vatican, while Vance has been left on the sidelines. Whether Rubio’s meeting leads to a more productive relationship between the Holy See and the Trump administration is something that will only become clear after Thursday’s sit-down.