CNA Staff, May 19, 2025 / 13:01 pm
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt has confirmed that U.S. President Donald Trump invited Pope Leo XIV to the White House. The invitation was made in a letter from Trump that was hand-delivered to the pope by Vice President JD Vance on Monday.
In a video of the meeting between the vice president and Pope Leo, Vance can be heard saying “I wanted to make sure I gave you that letter,” and in his response Pope Leo can be heard saying “at some point.”
Vance told the pope: “As you can probably imagine, in the United States the people are extremely excited.”
During an exchange of gifts between the two, Vance gave the pope a Chicago Bears jersey with “Pope Leo XIV” emblazoned on the back.
At the meeting’s conclusion, Vance thanked Pope Leo XIV and told him: “We’ll pray for you.”
“Thank you for being here for the celebration,” the pope replied.
When Leo XIV was elected May 8, Trump expressed hearty congratulations, posting on Truth Social: “It is such an honor to realize that he is the first American pope. What excitement, and what a great honor for our country. I look forward to meeting Pope Leo XIV. It will be a very meaningful moment!”
Vance and his wife, Usha, attended the pope’s inaugural Mass on Sunday. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio also attended with his wife, Jeanette.
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