Speaking to reporters after touring the Taj Mahal Wednesday morning, Vice President JD Vance told reporters he is “saddened” by the death of Pope Francis, but he is “not currently planning to attend” his funeral on Saturday.
“I was able to see him very briefly the morning of Easter Sunday. I knew he was very ill. I didn’t realize how sick he was,” Vance said. “The thing that I will always remember Pope Francis for is that he was a great pastor. People on the margins, poor people, people suffering from diseases. They saw in Pope Francis an advocate and I think, a true expression of Christian love.”
Vance acknowledged that Francis and the Trump administration have held disagreements on policy issues in the past but says he was still a “great Christian pastor.”
Vice President JD Vance speaks at the Rajasthan International Center in Jaipur, India, April 22, 2025.
Kenny Holston/Pool/AFP via Getty Images
“Yes, I’m aware that he had some disagreements with some of the policies of our administration. He also had a lot of agreements with some of the policies of our administration. I’m not going to soil the man’s legacy by talking about politics,” Vance said. “I think he was a great Christian pastor, and that’s how I choose to remember the Holy Father.”
While not wanting to influence the papal election, Vance said he hopes the cardinals “pick somebody who will be good for the world’s Catholics.”
– ABC News’ Alex Ederson
