Vatican City, Holy See — Pope Leo XIV received United States 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 8 May. 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.