Pope Leo XIV receives US VP Vance, Rubio

VATICAN, Holy See — Pope Leo XIV received US Vice President JD Vance and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the Vatican Monday, a day after the new US pontiff's inauguration mass.

The Vatican released photographs of Vance and Rubio smiling as they met with the Chicago-born pope, who was elected as head of the world's 1.4 billion Catholics on May 8.

Vance then met with the Holy See's secretary for relations with states, Paul Richard Gallagher, the Vatican said.

"During the cordial talks held at the Secretariat of State, satisfaction at the good bilateral relations was reiterated, and the collaboration between Church and State was discussed, as well as some matters of special relevance to ecclesial life and religious freedom," the Vatican said in a statement.

"Finally, there was an exchange of views on some current international issues, calling for respect for humanitarian law and international law in areas of conflict and for a negotiated solution between the parties involved", it said.

Vance and Rubio were among the 200,000 dignitaries, royals and faithful gathered Sunday to mark the official start of Leo's papacy in St Peter's Square.

Before becoming pope, Leo reposted on his personal X account criticism of US President Donald Trump's administration over its approach to migration and also pilloried Vance.

But Vance insisted Sunday that the United States was "very proud of him".

"Certainly our prayers go with him as he starts this very important work," Vance said at a meeting with EU chief Ursula von der Leyen and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.