Vice President JD Vance spoke on Wednesday about his meeting with Pope Francis shortly before the pontiff’s death.
“The thing that I will always remember Pope Francis for is that he was a great pastor. People on the margins, poor people, people suffering from diseases, they saw in Pope Francis an advocate and, I think, a true expression of Christian love,” Vance said about the late pope in a press conference before he left India.
While on a trip to Italy last week with his family, the vice president was one of the last officials to meet with Pope Francis. Vance, who is Catholic, had formal talks with the Vatican’s secretary of state and then had an informal meeting with Francis on Easter Sunday.
The pope died less than 24 hours after he met with Vance. After leaving Italy, the vice president and his family traveled to India.
When asked about seeing Francis so soon before he died, Vance said it’s “pretty crazy,” adding that when they met “I didn’t know that he had less than 24 hours still on this Earth. I think it was a great blessing.”
The vice president said he is not currently planning to attend the funeral for the pope and that the administration has not discussed which state officials will be attending.
Vance asked about pope’s views on Trump administration
Vance was asked about Francis’ views on Trump administration policies such as immigration and whether the pope’s death made him reflect on the policies in a new way.
“I think that obviously a lot of people, especially in the American press, want to make the Holy Father, his entire legacy, and even his death about American politics. I think he was obviously a much broader figure than the United States of America. He represents over a billion Catholics worldwide,” the vice president said in response.
Vance said he was aware that the pope disagreed with some Trump administration policies, but added that were some he did agree with.
“I’m not going to soil the man’s legacy by talking about politics,” he said. “I think he was a great Christian pastor, and that’s how I choose to remember the Holy Father.”
Vance was also asked by reporters whether he would prefer a new pope with similar views to Pope Francis or if he wants someone more traditional.
“I won’t pretend to give guidance to the cardinals on who they should select as the next pope. We’ve got plenty of issues to focus on in the United States,” he said.
He added that he just hopes they will pick someone who will be good for Catholics around the world.