Visit to Rome – Too Radical: Vance in the Vatican is not welcome

This meeting has not yet been officially confirmed by the Vatican. The White House, however, assumes that it comes about. However, a personal meeting with Pope Francis is unlikely.

Dence converted to the Catholic Church just a few years ago. In the United States it belongs to a conservative wing within Catholicism, which is often based on evangelical role models. Representatives of this direction are considered problematic in the Vatican – according to observers they are loud, politicized and sometimes radical.

Pope Franciscus follows another course on social -political issues. He relies on social justice, openness and the protection of migrants. Vance, on the other hand, stands for a hard migration policy and recently criticized the conference of the American bishops. This in turn accuses him that he accepts the church “self -protection” when it supports migrants.

According to the Vatican observer, a direct meeting with the Pope is not intended. The pope is in health, it is officially said. The fact that Francis nevertheless had public appearances during Easter – for example on Easter Sunday on St. Peter’s Square – is considered a sign that Vatican Vance consciously keeps you away. Vance himself should at least hope for a short photo meeting with Francis. Observers suspect the goal of supporting his image as a “good Catholic”.

The relationships between the US government under President Trump and the Vatican are currently tense. Pope Francis criticized the American migration policy sharply in a letter in February. Cardinal Slogans recently also responded to Washington’s foreign policy line, especially about the increasingly stressed relationship with European allies.

After a visit to Rome, Vance wants to continue traveling to India, the country of origin of his wife’s parents. A meeting with Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is also planned in Italy, who yesterday met US President Donald Trump in Washington.