Vance, Rubio to Attend Pope Leo XIV’s Inauguration Mass at Vatican

The U.S. delegation will honor the first American-born leader of the Catholic Church.

Vice President JD Vance (L) and Secretary of State Marco Rubio in the Oval Office at the White House on Feb. 24, 2025. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, joined by their wives, Second Lady Usha Vance and Jeannette Rubio, will lead a U.S. delegation to the Vatican on May 18 for the inaugural Mass of Pope Leo XIV, according to a statement from the White House.

Officials noted the significance of the event, as Leo XIV is the first American-born pontiff in the 2,000-year history of the Roman Catholic Church.