U.S. Vice President JD Vance took part in a Good Friday service at St. Peter’s Basilica, arriving with his wife and three young children just days after the death of Pope Francis, who passed away earlier this week at age 88.
The visit comes at a sensitive moment. Vance, a Catholic convert and vocal defender of the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown, had previously clashed with the late pope over the treatment of migrants. Francis had called the administration’s deportation policy a “disgrace” and issued a public letter rebuking the theological justifications cited by Vance.
Despite their differences, Vance is expected to meet with Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican’s Secretary of State, on Saturday. The meeting will take place amid ongoing tensions between the Vatican and U.S. Catholic institutions over cuts to migrant aid and refugee services.
The U.S. bishops’ conference recently ended a 50-year federal partnership on migrant support, citing severe funding reductions. Vatican officials are reportedly seeking ways to address the fallout and maintain humanitarian programs.
Vance may also attend Pope Francis’s funeral in the coming days, though the Vatican has not yet confirmed the full list of international attendees.
As the Church mourns its first Latin American pontiff, the visit by America’s vice president underlines both the shared heritage and the unresolved disagreements between Washington and the Holy See.
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Leaders of countries from the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) have agreed to hold coordinated population censuses around 2030. They took the decision at the CIS Council of Heads of State meeting in Awaza, Turkmenistan on Friday, media reported.
A powerful explosion has been reported at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, raising fresh concerns over aviation security in Saudi Arabia as tensions across the region continue to escalate.
Britain and Israel have reached a temporary compromise over the future of the British Consulate General in East Jerusalem, easing a diplomatic dispute that had threatened to further strain relations between the two countries.
South African judge Navanethem “Navi” Pillay won the Nobel Peace Prize on Friday “for her efforts to promote peace and international law,” the Norwegian Nobel Committee said.
The U.S. has imposed sanctions on the International Criminal Court (ICC) on Friday (9 October) escalating tensions with European allies and potentially targeting companies that provide services to the tribunal. The move came hours after former ICC judge Navi Pillay won the Nobel Peace Prize.
Indian police detained more than 2,000 protesters in Delhi on Saturday as authorities blocked a planned demonstration calling for the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over disputed changes to voter lists.
At least 12 people, including three children, have been killed in a Russian attack on the Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia, a day after U.S. President Donald Trump announced a deal to ease sanctions on Russian diesel.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has criticised U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to ease sanctions on Russian diesel exports, questioning why Moscow was granted an economic benefit without an apparent concession towards ending the war in Ukraine.
Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed surprise after Donald Trump mediated the Armenia-Azerbaijan peace agreement in 2025, the U.S. President said at a rally in New York state on Friday.
The United Nations has condemned a sharp rise in attacks on civilians in Ukraine, reporting that more than 100 people were killed and at least 429 injured in a single week as Russian strikes hit residential areas, passenger buses and critical infrastructure.
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