Tipsheet

JD Vance Was Traveling to Italy at the Perfect Time for Good Friday

Rebecca Downs
Rebecca Downs  |  April 19, 2025 12:00 PM

Vice President JD Vance has been traveling to Italy and will be next going to India as part of his international trip. On Friday, the vice president, who is a Catholic convert, attended Good Friday services at St. Peter’s Basilica. His presence in Rome for this holiest of days for Christians was a trending topic on X throughout the day. 

As the Office of the Vice President described such visits, "Vice President JD Vance and the Second Family will travel to Italy and India from April 18 to April 24. The Vice President will discuss shared economic and geopolitical priorities with leaders in each country." The vice president met with Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who was also just recently at the White House earlier this week, and will meet with Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin.

"Vice President Vance looks forward to meeting with Prime Minister Meloni and Church officials while in Italy and is grateful for the opportunity to visit some of Rome’s amazing cultural and religious sites with his family during Holy Week," said Taylor Van Kirk, Vance's press secretary in a statement.

Vance himself made a post about Good Friday and the days and trips to come.

"I’m grateful every day for this job, but particularly today where my official duties have brought me to Rome on Good Friday. I had a great meeting with Prime Minister Meloni and her team, and will head to church soon with my family in this beautiful city," Vance shared so far about his trip, before commemorating the particular day's event. "I wish all Christians all over the world, but particularly those back home in the US, a blessed Good Friday," he added. "He died so that we might live," Vance also concluded, speaking about Jesus Christ's death on the cross. 

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Some mainstream media outlets have bene focused on other factors of the trip, though. "JD Vance to spend Easter in Rome amid tiff with Pope Francis," read a headline from POLITICO. "Vice President JD Vance visits Vatican after clashing with pope over immigration policy," read another from USA Today. Still another, from Reuters, read that "Vance, Catholic at odds with Pope Francis, attends Vatican's Good Friday service."

Meanwhile, now former President Joe Biden was heralded on the campaign trail for 2020 as a supposedly devout Catholic. He was particularly at odds with the faith on abortion and LGTBQ+ issues. The abortion issue in particular put him at odds with U.S. bishops. Last Easter fell on March 31, which is also "Transgender Day of Visibility," one of the many occasions commemorating the community, which the Biden-Harris administration was particularly focused on celebrating. 

For all of the fussing from such Friday headlines as the ones above, Vance's visit with Parolin seemed to go just fine. 

"The Vice President and Cardinal Parolin discussed their shared religious faith, Catholicism in the United States, the plight of persecuted Christian communities around the world, and President Trump's commitment to restoring world peace," a release from the Office of Vice President read. 

As Townhall has been covering, the Trump administration has been marking Holy Week, which began on Sunday with Palm Sunday, in particularly memorable ways, including with a statement posted to the White House website. 

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt also referenced Holy Week during Monday's press briefing.