Pope Leo XIV received United States Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the Vatican on Monday, following his inauguration mass that took place a day earlier.

According to a statement from Vance's spokesperson, the audience with the pontiff lasted 45 minutes. Following this meeting, the Vatican confirmed that Vance met with the Holy See's secretary for relations with states, Paul Richard Gallagher, for what was described as cordial talks.

"Satisfaction at the good bilateral relations was reiterated, and the collaboration between Church and State was discussed, as well as some matters of special relevance to ecclesial life and religious freedom," the Vatican said in an official statement.

The statement further noted that there was "an exchange of views on some current international issues, calling for respect for humanitarian law and international law in areas of conflict and for a negotiated solution between the parties involved."

Both high-ranking US officials have personal connections to Catholicism. JD Vance converted to Catholicism in 2019, while Marco Rubio is also a Catholic. They were among the estimated 200,000 dignitaries, royals, and faithful who gathered on Sunday to mark the official start of Pope Leo's papacy in St Peter's Square.

The meeting comes despite previous tensions, as before becoming pope, Leo had reportedly reposted criticism on his personal X account regarding the US administration's approach to migration and had specifically criticized Vance. However, when speaking at a meeting with EU chief Ursula von der Leyen and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Vance expressed that the United States was "very proud of him."

"Certainly our prayers go with him as he starts this very important work," Vance added, suggesting a willingness to move past previous disagreements.

This meeting represents one of Pope Leo XIV's first diplomatic engagements since his inauguration and signals the continued importance of Vatican-US relations despite potential policy differences between the new pontiff and the current US administration.