U.S. Vice President JD Vance and his family attended the Vatican’s Liturgy for the Lord’s Passion in St. Peter’s Basilica on Good Friday during the first day of an April 18–20 visit to Rome.

Following Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s meeting with President Trump at the White House, US Vice President JD Vance arrived in Italy. Vance attended the Good Friday service at St. Peter’s Basilica and met with Prime Minister Meloni.

Yesterday, Prime Minister Meloni met with US President Donald Trump. The US President gave messages that he would not back down from customs duties and would not make changes to trade policy, but he conveyed to Meloni that an agreement could be reached with the EU. The address of this meeting was also mentioned as Rome. Following this meeting, in which Italy acted as an intermediary country between the US and the EU, US Vice President JD Vance arrived in Italy today for a three-day Easter 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, joined in St Peter’s by his wife Usha and his three young children, had spoken with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni earlier in the day. The meeting occurred at the premier’s Palazzo Chigi office, just one day after Vance met Meloni in Washington, where she discussed tariffs with US President Donald Trump.

Shortly before arriving at St Peter’s, Vance posted on X: “I’m grateful every day for this job, particularly today when my official duties 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, during his trip to Rome.

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 coincides with major religious events in Rome, including the Via Crucis at the Colosseum on Friday night. The capital is under tight security.