Tight security in Rome for Vance visit.US vice president JD Vance attended the Vatican's Good Friday liturgy in St Peter's Basilica on the afternoon of 18 April on the first day of a three-day Easter visit to Italy.Vance, who was joined in St Peter's by his wife Usha and his three young children, held talks with Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni earlier in the day. The meeting took place at the premier's Palazzo Chigi office, just one day after Vance met Meloni in Washington where she held talks on tariffs with US president Donald Trump. The White House and Meloni’s office later issued a joint statement saying that Trump would visit Italy “in the very near future", stating that there "is also consideration to hold, on such occasion, a meeting between U.S. and Europe". Shortly before arriving in St Peter's, Vance posted on X: "I’m grateful every day for this job, but particularly today where my official duties have brought me to Rome on Good Friday." The US vice president added that he “had a great meeting” with Meloni and was “headed to church soon with my family in this beautiful city". Vance, who converted to Catholicism in 2019, is scheduled to meet the Vatican's secretary of state Cardinal Pietro Parolin on Saturday. It is still unknown whether he will meet Pope Francis who is recovering from double pneumonia and who recently criticised Trump's immigration policies in a letter to the US Catholic bishops. Vance's visit, which coincides with major religious events in Rome including the Via Crucis at the Colosseum on Friday night, is taking place amid tight security in the capital. Photo Palazzo Chigi. Roma, 18/04/2025 - Il Presidente del Consiglio, Giorgia Meloni, incontra a Palazzo Chigi il Vice Presidente degli Stati Uniti d’America, J. D. Vance.

US vice president JD Vance attended the Vatican's Good Friday liturgy in St Peter's Basilica on the afternoon of 18 April on the first day of a three-day Easter visit to Italy. Vance, who was joined in St Peter's by his wife Usha and his three young children, held talks with Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni earlier in the day. The meeting took place at the premier's Palazzo Chigi office, just one day after Vance met Meloni in Washington where she held with US president Donald Trump. The White House and Meloni’s office later issued a joint statement saying that Trump would visit Italy “in the very near future", stating that there "is also consideration to hold, on such occasion, a meeting between U.S. and Europe". Shortly before arriving in St Peter's, Vance posted on X: "I’m grateful every day for this job, but particularly today where my official duties have brought me to Rome on Good Friday." The US vice president added that he “had a great meeting” with Meloni and was “headed to church soon with my family in this beautiful city". Vance, who converted to Catholicism in 2019, is scheduled to meet the Vatican's secretary of state Cardinal Pietro Parolin on Saturday. It is still unknown whether he will meet Pope Francis who is recovering from double pneumonia and who recently criticised Trump's immigration policies in a letter to the US Catholic bishops. Vance's visit, which coincides with major religious events in Rome including the on Friday night, is taking place amid tight security in the capital. Photo Palazzo Chigi. Roma, 18/04/2025 - Il Presidente del Consiglio, Giorgia Meloni, incontra a Palazzo Chigi il Vice Presidente degli Stati Uniti d’America, J. D. Vance.