Vatican notes 'exchange of opinions' over migrants, prisoners in meeting with Vance

VATICAN CITY (AP) — U.S. Vice President JD Vance met Saturday with the Vatican's No. 2 official amid tensions over the U.S. crackdown on migrants, with the Holy See reaffirming good relations but noting “an exchange of opinions” over current international conflicts, migrants and prisoners.

Vance, a Catholic convert, met with the secretary of state, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, and the foreign minister, Archbishop Paul Gallagher, in the Apostolic Palace. There was no indication he met with Pope Francis, who has sharply cut back official duties during his recovery from pneumonia.

Vance's office said he and Parolin “discussed their shared religious faith, Catholicism in the United States, the plight of persecuted Christian communities around the world, and President Trump’s commitment to restoring world peace.”

The Holy See has responded cautiously to the Trump administration while seeking to continue productive relations in keeping with its tradition of diplomatic neutrality.

It has expressed alarm over the administration's crackdown on migrants and cuts in international aid while insisting on peaceful resolutions to the wars in Ukraine and Gaza.

Those concerns were reflected in the Vatican statement, which said the talks were cordial and that the Vatican expressed satisfaction with the administration's commitment to protecting freedom of religion and conscience.

"There was an exchange of opinions on the international situation, especially regarding countries affected by war, political tensions and difficult humanitarian situations, with particular attention to migrants, refugees, and prisoners," the statement said. “Finally, hope was expressed for serene collaboration between the state and the Catholic Church in the United States, whose valuable service to the most vulnerable people was acknowledged.”

The reference to “serene collaboration” appeared to refer to Vance's assertion that the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops was resettling “illegal immigrants” in order to get federal funding. Top U.S. cardinals have pushed back strongly against the claim.

“It is clear that the approach of the current U.S. administration is very different from what we are used to and, especially in the West, from what we have relied on for many years," Parolin told La Repubblica daily on the eve of Vance's visit.

As the U.S. pushes to end the war in Ukraine, Parolin reaffirmed Kyiv's right to its territorial integrity and insisted that any peace deal must not be “imposed” on Ukraine but “is built patiently, day by day, with dialogue and mutual respect.”

Vance was spending Easter weekend in Rome with his family and attended Good Friday services in St. Peter’s Basilica after meeting with Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni. On Saturday, after introducing his family to Parolin, the Vances got a private tour of the Sistine Chapel and later visited Rome's botanic garden, where one of his sons was seen in a plastic gladiator costume that is popular among Italian kids.

It wasn't immediately clear where they would celebrate Easter. Francis, for his part, indicated he hoped to attend Easter Mass that usually draws thousands to St. Peter's Square, according to the official Mass booklet and liturgical plans released Saturday.

Francis and Vance have tangled sharply over migration and the Trump administration’s plans to deport migrants en masse. Francis has made caring for migrants a hallmark of his papacy and his progressive views on social justice issues have often put him at odds with members of the more conservative U.S. Catholic Church.

Francis also changed church teaching to say that capital punishment is inadmissible in all cases. After a public appeal from Francis just weeks before Trump took office, President Joe Biden commuted the sentences of 37 of the 40 people on federal death row. Trump is an outspoken proponent of expanding capital punishment.

Vance, who converted to Catholicism in 2019, identifies with a small Catholic intellectual movement, viewed by some critics as having reactionary or authoritarian leanings, that is often called “postliberal.”

Postliberals share some longstanding Catholic conservative views, such as opposition to abortion and LGBTQ+ rights. They envision a counterrevolution in which they take over government bureaucracy and institutions like universities from within, replacing entrenched “elites” with their own and acting upon their vision of the “common good.”

Just days before he was hospitalized in February, Francis blasted the Trump administration’s deportation plans, warning that they would deprive migrants of their inherent dignity. In a letter to U.S. bishops, Francis also appeared to respond to Vance directly for having claimed that Catholic doctrine justified such policies.

Vance had defended the administration’s America-first crackdown by citing a concept from medieval Catholic theology known in Latin as “ordo amoris.” He has said the concept delineates a hierarchy of care — to family first, followed by neighbor, community, fellow citizens and lastly those elsewhere.

In his Feb. 10 letter, Francis appeared to correct Vance’s understanding of the concept.

“Christian love is not a concentric expansion of interests that little by little extends to other persons and groups,” he wrote. “The true ordo amoris that must be promoted is that which we discover by meditating constantly on the parable of the ‘Good Samaritan,’ that is, by meditating on the love that builds a fraternity open to all, without exception.”

Vance has acknowledged Francis’ criticism but has said he would continue to defend his views. During a Feb. 28 appearance at the National Catholic Prayer Breakfast in Washington, Vance didn’t address the issue specifically but called himself a “baby Catholic” and acknowledged there are “things about the faith that I don’t know.”

While he had criticized Francis on social media in the past, Vance recently has posted prayers for Francis’ recovery.

This version corrects the first name of Gallagher.

Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.

US Vice President J.D. Vance leaves Rome's Botanic Gardens with his wife Usha, right, their daughter Mirabel holding hand with an unidentified staff, front, and sons Vivek and Ewan, back to camera, Saturday, April 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Riccardo De Luca)

US Vice President J.D. Vance leaves Rome's Botanic Gardens with his wife Usha, center, and their daughter Mirabel, back to camera, Saturday, April 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Riccardo De Luca)

US Vice President J.D. Vance leaves Rome's Botanic Gardens with his wife Usha, right, and their daughter Mirabel, back to camera, Saturday, April 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Riccardo De Luca)

Security personnel accompanying U.S. Vice President JD Vance lift a trolley over the turnstiles at the exit of Rome's Botanic Gardens after a tour inside the gardens Vance did with his wife Usha, partially hidden behind the gate, their daughter Mirabel, sons Vivek, left, and Ewan, back to camera, Saturday, April 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Riccardo De Luca)

US Vice President J.D. Vance arrives with son Ewan wearing a gladiator toy set at Rome's Botanic Gardens, Saturday, April 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Riccardo De Luca)

US Vice President J.D. Vance leaves Rome's Botanic Gardens with his wife Usha, left, and their daughter Mirabel, back to camera, Saturday, April 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Riccardo De Luca)

US Vice President J.D. Vance leaves Rome's Botanic Gardens with his wife Usha, right, their daughter Mirabel, left, and sons Vivek and Ewan, back to camera, Saturday, April 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Riccardo De Luca)

US Vice President J.D. Vance arrives at Rome's Botanic Gardens, Saturday, April 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Riccardo De Luca)

US Vice President J.D. Vance, center, leaves Rome's Botanic Gardens with his wife Usha, right, their daughter Mirabel holding hands with an unidentified staff member, front, and sons Vivek and Ewan, back to camera, Saturday, April 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Riccardo De Luca)

The motorcade of U.S. Vice President JD Vance departs the Vatican after Vance met with Cardinal Pietro Parolin and Archbishop Paul Gallagher, Saturday, April 19, 2025. (Kenny Holston/Pool Photo via AP)

From left, Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin meets with U.S. Vice President JD Vance, his daughter Mirabel, his wife Usha, and their sons Ewan and Vivek at the Vatican, Saturday, April 19, 2025. (Vatican Media via AP, HO)

People look on as the motorcade of U.S. Vice President JD Vance passes by en route to Vatican where Vance will meet with Cardinal Pietro Parolin and Archbishop Paul Gallagher, in Rome, Italy, Saturday, April 19, 2025. (Kenny Holston/Pool Photo via AP)

The motorcade of U.S. Vice President JD Vance departs his Vice-Presidential quarters en route to Vatican, in Rome, Italy, Saturday, April 19, 2025. (Kenny Holston/Pool Photo via AP)

U.S. Vice President JD Vance, and his wife Usha Vance, center, with their daughter Mirabel attend a Good Friday service inside St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican, Friday, April 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

U.S. Vice President JD Vance, and his wife Usha Vance, left, with their daughter Mirabel attend a Good Friday service led by Cardinal Claudio Gugerotti, right, inside St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican, Friday, April 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

U.S. Vice President JD Vance attends with his wife Usha, left, a Good Friday service inside St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican, Friday, April 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

U.S. Vice President JD Vance, with, from left, daughter Mirabel, sons Ewan and Vivek leave at the end of a Good Friday service inside St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican, Friday, April 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

U.S. Vice President JD Vance attends with his wife Usha and son Vivek, left, a Good Friday service inside St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican, Friday, April 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

U.S. Vice President JD Vance, and his wife Usha Vance, left, with their daughter Mirabel, partially hidden, and son Vivek attend a Good Friday service led by Cardinal Claudio Gugerotti, right, inside St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican, Friday, April 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

U.S. Vice President JD Vance, and his wife Usha Vance, left, with their daughter Mirabel, back to camera, and son Vivek attend a Good Friday service inside St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican, Friday, April 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

U.S. Vice President JD Vance, and his wife Usha Vance, with their daughter Mirabel, back to camera, and sons Vivek and Ewan, left, attend a Good Friday service inside St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican, Friday, April 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

U.S. Vice President JD Vance, and his wife Usha Vance, with their daughter Mirabel, back to camera, and sons Vivek and Ewan, left, attend a Good Friday service inside St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican, Friday, April 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

U.S. Vice President JD Vance, and his wife Usha Vance, left, with their daughter Mirabel, attend a Good Friday service led by Cardinal Claudio Gugerotti, right, inside St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican, Friday, April 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

WASHINGTON (AP) — Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said Thursday that federal law enforcement is investigating a social media post made by former FBI Director James Comey that she and other Republicans suggest is a call for violence against President Donald Trump.

In an Instagram post, Comey wrote “cool shell formation on my beach walk” under a picture of seashells that appeared to form the shapes for “86 47.”

Numerous Trump administration officials, including Noem, said Comey was advocating for the assassination of Trump, the 47th president. “DHS and Secret Service is investigating this threat and will respond appropriately,” Noem wrote.

Merriam-Webster, the dictionary used by The Associated Press, says 86 is slang meaning “to throw out,” “to get rid of” or “to refuse service to.” It notes: “Among the most recent senses adopted is a logical extension of the previous ones, with the meaning of ‘to kill.’ We do not enter this sense, due to its relative recency and sparseness of use.”

The post has since been deleted. Comey subsequently wrote, “I posted earlier a picture of some shells I saw today on a beach walk, which I assumed were a political message. I didn’t realize some folks associate those numbers with violence.

“It never occurred to me,” Comey added, “but I oppose violence of any kind so I took the post down.”

Comey's original post sparked outrage among conservatives on social media, with Donald Trump Jr. accusing Comey of calling for his father’s killing.

Current FBI Director Kash Patel said he was aware of the post and was conferring with the Secret Service and its director.

James Blair, White House deputy chief of staff for legislative, political and public affairs, noted that the post came at a delicate time given that Trump is traveling in the Middle East.

“This is a Clarion Call from Jim Comey to terrorists & hostile regimes to kill the President of the United States as he travels in the Middle East,” Blair wrote on X.

Comey, who was FBI director from 2013 to 2017, was fired by Trump during the president's first term amid the bureau’s probe into allegations of ties between Russian officials and Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign. Comey wrote about his career in the best-selling memoir “A Higher Loyalty.”

He is now a crime fiction writer and is promoting his latest book, “FDR Drive,” which is being released on Tuesday.

President Donald Trump stands backdropped by an MQ-9 Reaper drone before addressing military personnel at the Al Udeid Air Base, Thursday, May 15, 2025, in Doha, Qatar. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)