JD Vance goes to the Vatican following remarkable papal rebuke over Trump crackdown on migrants

VATICAN CITY – U.S. Vice President JD Vance is gathering with the Vatican No. 2 official, pursuing a remarkable papal rebuke of the Trump administration’s crackdown connected migrants and Vance’s theological justification of it.

Vance, a Catholic convert, was owed to conscionable Saturday with the Vatican caput of state, Cardinal Pietro Parolin. There was speculation helium mightiness besides concisely greet Pope Francis, who has begun resuming immoderate authoritative duties during his betterment from pneumonia.

Vance was spending Easter play successful Rome with his household and attended Good Friday services successful St. Peter’s Basilica connected Friday aft gathering with Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni.

Francis and Vance person tangled sharply implicit migration and the Trump administration’s plans to deport migrants en masse. Francis has made caring for migrants a hallmark of his papacy and his progressive views connected societal justness issues person often enactment him astatine likelihood with members of the much blimpish U.S. Catholic Church.

Vance, who converted successful 2019, identifies with a tiny Catholic intelligence movement, viewed by immoderate critics arsenic having reactionary oregon authoritarian leanings, that is often called “postliberal.”

Postliberals stock immoderate longstanding Catholic blimpish views, specified arsenic absorption to termination and LGBTQ+ rights. They envision a counterrevolution successful which they instrumentality implicit authorities bureaucracy and institutions similar universities from within, replacing entrenched “elites” with their ain and acting upon their imaginativeness of the “common good.”

Just days earlier helium was hospitalized successful February, Francis blasted the Trump administration’s deportation plans, informing that they would deprive migrants of their inherent dignity. In a missive to U.S. bishops, Francis besides appeared to respond to Vance straight for having claimed that Catholic doctrine justified specified policies.

Vance had defended the administration’s America-first crackdown by citing a conception from medieval Catholic theology known successful Latin arsenic “ordo amoris.” He has said the conception delineates a hierarchy of attraction — to household first, followed by neighbor, community, chap citizens and lastly those elsewhere.

In his Feb. 10 letter, Francis appeared to close Vance’s knowing of the concept.

“Christian emotion is not a concentric enlargement of interests that small by small extends to different persons and groups,” helium wrote. “The existent ordo amoris that indispensable beryllium promoted is that which we observe by meditating perpetually connected the parable of the ‘Good Samaritan,’ that is, by meditating connected the emotion that builds a fraternity unfastened to all, without exception.”

Vance has acknowledged Francis’ criticism but has said helium would proceed to support his views. During a Feb. 28 quality astatine the National Catholic Prayer Breakfast successful Washington, Vance didn’t code the contented specifically but called himself a “baby Catholic” and acknowledged determination are “things astir the religion that I don’t know.”

While helium had criticized Francis connected societal media successful the past, precocious helium has posted prayers for Francis’ recovery.

On Friday, Vance, his woman and 3 young children had front-row seats astatine the Vatican’s Good Friday work successful St. Peter’s, a two-hour solemn commemoration featuring Latin and Italian readings. Francis did not attend.

But the pope has begun receiving visitors, including King Charles III, and this week ventured retired of the Vatican to conscionable with prisoners astatine Rome's cardinal jailhouse to support a Holy Thursday assignment ministering to the astir marginalized.

He has named different cardinals to preside implicit Easter services this weekend, but officials haven't ruled retired a imaginable little greeting with Vance.

“I’m grateful each time for this job, but peculiarly contiguous wherever my authoritative duties person brought maine to Rome connected Good Friday,” Vance posted connected X. “I privation each Christians each implicit the world, but peculiarly those backmost location successful the US, a blessed Good Friday.”

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