JD Vance's Easter visit to Vatican could help resurrect his Catholic credentials

In an nearly unprecedented letter to the U.S. bishops, the pope — while not directly naming Vance — explicitly rejected that theological interpretation.

"The true ordo amoris that must be promoted is that which we discover by meditating constantly on the parable of the 'Good Samaritan,' that is, by meditating on the love that builds a fraternity open to all, without exception," wrote the pope on Feb. 11.

Vance later attempted to smooth over some of that conflict.

During a Feb. 28 speech at the National Catholic Prayer Breakfast, the vice president said that he was "surprised" by the papal pushback and that he didn't think it was constructive for Christians to fight with each other.

As Vance now prepares for his first ever tête-à-tête with the pope and his top deputies, he will walk a diplomatic tightrope — both attempting to appease his anti-immigrant boss and base, while also seeking to repair relationships with leaders of his own church. 

Stephen Schneck, who served as the longtime director of the Institute for Policy Research and Catholic Studies at the Catholic University of America, said that Francis and Trump both have focused on refugees and migrants, but they approach the topic as "polar opposites."

"While Pope Francis has begged the world for mercy, care and welcome for these 'least' among us, President Trump evidences glee in deporting, excluding and callously dismissing them," Schneck said in an interview. "I cannot remember when tensions between the United States and the Vatican have been more fraught."

Ken Hackett, who served as U.S. ambassador to the Vatican from 2013 to 2017, said that Vance faces a difficult task in reconciling his administration's policies with the positions of his church.

"I struggle to find areas of complementary between the policies and practices of the Trump administration and those of the pontificate of Francis," he said.

Hackett said that there could be common ground on issues such as advocacy for persecuted Christians and opposition to human trafficking. But he noted that those concerns must be contrasted with the Trump administration's treatment of Muslims, Haitians and denying due process to immigrants.

Still, the Vatican is long accustomed to awkward encounters with high-profile visitors with whom it doesn't always see eye-to-eye.

Meloni's harsh crackdown on migrants in the pope's backyard led many to predict that the two leaders would be on a collision course. Instead, they have found common cause in opposing surrogate motherhood and attempting to boost European birthrates. And the current leader of the pope's homeland, Argentinian President Javier Milei, went from calling the pope an "imbecile" on the campaign trail to sharing frequent laughs and hugs during their meetings.

Emilce Cuda, secretary of the Vatican's Pontifical Commission for Latin America, told NCR that "the pope in no way interferes in the internal political affairs of countries."

"He only speaks out in support of those who suffer, and always within the limits of the Catholic Church," said Cuda.

Victor Gaetan, author of a history of Vatican diplomacy said that "the Vatican's diplomatic method concentrates on finding common ground, collaborating on shared interests, not on condemnation."

When Vance arrives at the Vatican, there will be plenty of areas of disagreement, but this will be dealt with privately, behind closed doors, Gaetan said.

"I suspect Francis the pastor can't help but want to bless Vice President Vance, a self-described 'baby Catholic,' " who joined the church six years ago.

Yet because of the explicitly Catholic dimension of their disagreements — with Vance attempting to use the church's theology to help justify policy positions that put him sharply at odds with the pope — Schneck noted that this has only heightened the tensions leading up to Vance's visit.

"Vance knows he's created a Catholic stink," Schneck said. "The vanity of his imagined Catholic theological expertise when he defended cuts to humanitarian programs by citing Augustine's ordo amoris drew a sharp papal rejoinder."

Now, Schneck said, Vance is gunning for a "photo op to lessen the stink. He wants the photo to legitimate him in the public eye as a good Catholic."