Within the next 24 hours of Vice President JD Vance meeting Pope Francis, Pope Francis passes away. It was known that he was ill before this, but they weren’t aware of how ill and how much time he had left.
JD Vance got the opportunity to meet Pope Francis on April 20th on his four day trip he took with his wife, Usha to India. Him and his wife took this trip because Usha is Hindu and her parents emigrated to the U.S from India. JD Vance has stated that he would be attending his funeral as well.
Vance’s gathering with his relatives follows their trip to Italy the previous week to engage in Holy Week celebrations. Vance mentioned that arrangements are still uncertain regarding his attendance at the pope’s funeral in the days ahead.
The meeting of Vance and Francis occurred following intense disputes regarding immigration, as the pope had consistently criticized the strategies of the Trump administration. Vance, a convert to Catholicism since 2019, informed journalists on Wednesday that he recognizes the differences in opinion the pope held concerning certain policies of the Trump administration.
“The thing that I will always remember Pope Francis for is that he was a great pastor,” Vance said. “People on the margins, poor people, people suffering from diseases, they saw in Pope Francis an advocate and I think, a true expression of Christian love.”
Regarding the choice of the upcoming pope, the vice president expressed that he would “offer a prayer for discernment” for the Cardinals, mentioning, “I hope they choose an individual who will benefit Catholics around the globe.” “However, I will allow them to make that choice, and clearly, they have the right to do so,” he further stated.
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