JD Vance paid tribute to Pope Francis on Monday, hours after news broke that the pope had died at 88.
The vice president of the United States was one of the last people to meet with Francis before his death, and said that he was “obviously very ill” during their encounter.
“I just learned of the passing of Pope Francis,” Vance said in a statement shared on X, formerly Twitter. “My heart goes out to the millions of Christians all over the world who loved him.”
“I was happy to see him yesterday, though he was obviously very ill,” the 40-year-old politician added. “But I’ll always remember him for the below homily he gave in the very early days of COVID. It was really quite beautiful. May God rest his soul.” He shared a link to the homily as well.
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Vance briefly met with Francis on Easter Sunday. The pope, who has openly disagreed with President Donald Trump’s policies on immigration, gifted Vance three chocolate Easter eggs for his three children during the brief sit-down.
“I know you have not been feeling great but it’s good to see you in better health,” Vance said to the pope on Sunday. “Thank you for seeing me.”
Before leaving, Vance told the pope, “I pray for you every day.”
Francis died on Monday after a five-week hospitalization in February and March, where he was treated for bronchitis, which eventually progressed to pneumonia in both lungs. He was discharged from the hospital on March 23.
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