"Vice President JD Vance to Attend Pope Leo XIV's Inaugural Mass in Rome"
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"Vice President JD Vance to Attend Pope Leo XIV's Inaugural Mass in Rome"
[!CDATA[Vice President JD Vance is set to return to Rome this weekend to participate in Pope Leo XIV's inaugural mass, as reported by Bloomberg. This will mark Vance's second visit to the Vatican in two months, having previously met with Pope Francis on Easter weekend. Speculations and jokes circulated online linking Vance's visit to the pope's death, but Francis was hospitalized before passing away. Vance, the highest-ranking Catholic in the U.S. government, will be accompanied by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and their wives at the event. Vance converted to Catholicism in 2019 and the mass will take place in St. Peter's Square, where Pope Leo, the first American-born pope, will be officially installed. According to Bloomberg, it remains uncertain if Vance and Rubio will have a direct meeting with the new pope. However, if they do meet, there could be potential tensions as Pope Leo has been critical of Trump and Vance in the past. Earlier this year, then-Cardinal Prevost criticized Vance's views on Catholic doctrine, stating that Vance was mistaken in his interpretation. Pope Francis also expressed disapproval of the president and vice president during his lifetime, to which Vance responded by acknowledging his limited experience as a new Catholic. Both Vance and President Trump extended their congratulations to Pope Leo on becoming the first American pope. Pope Leo, a 69-year-old White Sox fan from Chicago, is also a citizen of Peru and has a background in serving the underprivileged before his cardinal appointment. The choice of his papal name by the former Cardinal Prevost was deliberate, drawing parallels to the advocacy for the working class by Pope Leo XIII in the late 1800s industrial revolution. The upcoming mass is expected to be attended by various world leaders, including Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and Australia's Anthony Albanese.]]