Pope Francis met with US Vice President J.D. Vance before his death
Pope Francis died at the age of 88. Shortly before his passing, he met with US Vice President J.D. Vance, whose views he had previously criticized.
Photo: by Darafsh
Vatican
Initially, the Pope was being treated for bronchitis, but doctors later confirmed he had developed bilateral pneumonia. On March 23, he made his first public appearance in over a month, greeting people from a wheelchair on the balcony of the Gemelli Clinic.
With the Pope’s passing, the period of Sede Vacante or ‘vacant seat’ has begun.
Sede Vacante refers to the time between the death or resignation of a Pope and the election of his successor. Nearly all Vatican officials step down during this period. After a ten-day mourning period, preparations begin for the conclave to elect the new head of the Roman Catholic Church. The election takes place in the Sistine Chapel of the Apostolic Palace and may last several days. Only cardinals under the age of 80 are eligible to vote. The election of a new Pope is announced by white smoke rising from the chapel’s chimney.
The Pope Met with Vance Despite Deep Disagreements
Francis had strongly condemned the Trump administration’s plans to deport undocumented immigrants – a policy enthusiastically supported by J.D. Vance. Though Vance acknowledged the Pope’s criticism, he stated he would continue to stand by his views. He also described Francis as a man who “cares for his flock.”
Vance, who converted to Catholicism in 2019, has referred to himself as a “baby Catholic,” noting, “there are things in the faith I still don’t know.”
The Pope and the U.S. Vice President met over Easter. During their meeting, the 88-year-old pontiff gave Vance three large chocolate Easter eggs for his children.
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Vatican City officially the Vatican City State (Italian: Stato della Città del Vaticano; Latin: Status Civitatis Vaticanae), is a landlocked country, city-state, microstate, and enclave surrounded by, and historically a part of, Rome, Italy. It became independent from Italy in 1929 with the Lateran Treaty, and is a distinct territory under “full ownership, exclusive dominion, and sovereign authority and jurisdiction” of the Holy See, which is itself a sovereign entity under international law, maintaining the city-state’s temporal power, governance, diplomatic, and spiritual independence. The Vatican is also a metonym for the pope, the Holy See, and the Roman Curia.
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