The Vice President and his wife appeared grateful to witness the inaugural Mass, sharing a sweet moment during the service.
Vice President JD Vance’s encounter with Pope Leo XIV during the new pontiff’s inaugural Mass has sparked a flurry of online reactions. While the brief meeting seemed cordial on the surface, viewers were quick to pick apart everything from body language to what they saw as a lack of reverence.
Vance and his wife were among the political and religious leaders who attended the historic Mass in Vatican City, marking the beginning of Pope Leo’s papacy, the first time an American has held the role. Despite the pontiff’s past criticism of the Trump administration, the couple took part in the ceremony, which drew international attention.
Vance and his wife were among the political and religious leaders who attended the historic Mass in Vatican City, marking the beginning of Pope Leo’s papacy, the first time an American has held the role. Despite the pontiff’s past criticism of the Trump administration, the couple took part in the ceremony, which drew international attention.
However, what might have seemed like a standard diplomatic gesture became a hot topic online. Viewers took issue with how the meeting ended when Vance gave the pope a friendly pat on the shoulder, a gesture many found far too casual for the successor of the late Pope Francis.
Social media users scrutinized everything from Vance’s approach to what they perceived as a cold reaction from the pope and even his limited interaction with Usha Vance. One viewer didn’t hold back, bluntly stating, “Very disrespectful @JDVance.” Someone else weighed in, “JD needs some help in his faith. The Pope is not his business associate. Good grief.”
Another commenter analyzed the moment closely, “JD seemed a bit conflicted, one could tell. He didn’t know if he was to do this like he was the boss, or like where prevost was the boss. He was clearly awkward. Notice the shrug of the shoulders by prevost after JD passes on [sic].”
Another person took issue with the informality, noting, “He taps him on his shoulder like his buddy, not like the successor of St. Peter and the Vicar of Christ on earth. Please pray our Church returns to some remembrance of the importance of hierarchy.”
Some people focused on the pontiff’s demeanor, writing, “The body language by the pope was a bit cold there. Ouch?” From a different angle, someone pointed out, “It looked like the pope disregarded Mrs. Vance. Shaking hands and looking elsewhere. Nope. Not feeling it.”
A commenter delved into the subtleties, “Body language is everything. Our VPOTUS was warm in greeting him. He shrugs heavily when he and SLOTUS turn to leave. How telling and disrespectful. He’s not fooling anyone. Certainly not me.” And finally, one user summed it up harshly with, “Wow the pope was so ungracious.”
Despite the online chatter surrounding his brief interaction with Pope Leo XIV, Vance has shown no signs of discomfort. He posted a photo of himself and his wife, Usha, at the Mass and wrote, “It was an honor to join so many of the faithful at the inaugural Mass of Pope Leo XIV this morning!”
Another picture shared from the event showed the couple kissing during the Holy Mass, a moment that reflected how at ease they were throughout the occasion.
During their trip, Vance and Usha also went to pay their respects to the late Pope Francis. Sharing the moment online, Vance wrote, “Today, Usha and I visited the tomb of the late Holy Father Pope Francis. He was beloved by many Catholics around the world, and I hope you will join me in praying for the repose of his soul.”
