Travel plans published ahead of Vance's trip did not include a scheduled meeting between the vice president and Pope Francis.

Pope Francis held a private meeting at the Vatican on Sunday morning with Vice President JD Vance, the Vatican said in a statement. Vance, a Catholic who has clashed with the pontiff over the Trump administration's immigration policies, met Francis at his Vatican residence to exchange Easter greetings, the statement said.

Vance’s visit was not without political sensitivities, and he met with Cardinal Pietro Parolin for what the Vatican described as “an exchange of opinions.”