JD Vance, Marco Rubio Will Attend Pope Leo XIV’s Inaugural Mass

Topline

Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio will travel to the Vatican to attend Sunday’s inaugural mass of Pope Leo XIV, after Vance was the last American official to meet with Pope Francis shortly before his death last month.

Newly elected Pope Leo XIV, Robert Prevost arrives on the main central loggia balcony of the St … More Peter’s Basilica for the first time, after the cardinals ended the conclave, in The Vatican, on May 8, 2025.

AFP via Getty Images

Key Facts

Vance’s visit to the Vatican will be his second in a matter of weeks after he visited Leo’s predecessor Francis, who had been battling pneumonia and other illnesses and died the day after meeting Vance, on Easter in April.

Vance—who is leading the delegation—and Rubio, who are both Catholic, will be joined by their wives, Bloomberg reported, though it’s unclear whether they will meet the new pope or just attend his inaugural mass on Sunday.

Forbes has reached out to the White House for confirmation.

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Key Background

Leo was born in Chicago as Robert Francis Prevost, and his election as pontiff drew excited responses from Vance and President Donald Trump, who both wished him success in his role leading the Catholic Church. He was elected after just two days and four ballots. Leo, who has said he selected his papal name to align with Pope Leo XIII who worked to defend workers’ rights and fair wages, is considered more centrist than his predecessor Francis. While Leo was born in Chicago and attended Villanova University, he spent most of his career in Peru and became a cardinal in 2023.

Tangent

Shortly after his election was announced, a now-deleted twitter account appearing to belong to Prevost when he was still a cardinal surfaced, and its most recent tweet criticized Trump for not returning Kilmar Abrego Garcia to the U.S. after he was wrongly deported. The account had also shared an article from the National Catholic Reporter that argued Vance’s interpretation of the Bible was wrong. The Vatican nor the White House have commented on the account.

Who Else Will Be At Pope Leo’s Inaugural Mass?

Canada’s newly elected prime minister Mark Carney will attend the mass, according to CBC, and hopes to meet with other world leaders while in Rome. An aide for Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he is hoping to attend the service and is also looking to mee with other leaders, Reuters reported. Other leaders reportedly attending include Israeli President Isaac Herzog and Prince Edward.