Less than a month after breaking Vatican rules during a family tour, U.S. Vice President JD Vance is again under fire—this time for breaching protocol during his first meeting with the newly elected Pope Leo XIV.
While visiting the Sistine Chapel, Vance was photographed holding his son beneath Michelangelo’s ceiling, despite strict bans on photography. The image went viral, drawing public criticism.
Now, Vance’s rocky relationship with the Vatican continues with Pope Leo XIV, the first American-born pontiff, who has been labeled “anti-Trump” by MAGA supporters. Before his election, the Chicago-born pope had criticized Republican immigration policies, clashing with Vance’s public defense of mass deportations using Christian values. In response, then-Cardinal Robert Prevost (now Pope Leo) tweeted that “Jesus doesn’t ask us to rank our love for others,” indirectly calling Vance’s theology misguided.
Recently, Vance downplayed the friction, stating he won’t “politicize the pope,” and emphasized that Catholicism transcends political divides.
But the drama continued on May 18 during his official introduction to Pope Leo. Ignoring papal etiquette—like no touching beyond a handshake—Vance casually patted the pope’s elbow. The moment went viral, with social media calling the move “cringey” and “disrespectful.”
Critics slammed Vance’s behavior as tone-deaf and classless. One user wrote, “That low-class hillbilly… no manners, just a hillbilly.” Others pointed out the pope’s visible discomfort after the encounter.
Vance was joined by his wife, Usha, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who had arrived early for diplomatic talks.