Introduction to the Meeting
Vice President JD Vance presented Pope Leo XIV with a Bears jersey on Monday, and the Chicago-area native seemed to like it.
“Good choice,” he told Vance.
The Vatican Meeting
In a Vatican meeting that lasted approximately 40 minutes Monday morning, Vance and his wife, Usha Vance, presented the new pope with the jersey and a letter from President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump.
Emblazoned on the back of the navy jersey: “Pope Leo XIV.”
Presentation and Exchange of Gifts
The vice president explained that the letter was an invitation to come to America, to which the pontiff nodded politely.
Vance is seen on a video of the visit, widely circulated among Italian media, pointing to his son Ewan Vance’s signature scrawled on the jersey.
The pope presented the Vances with a bronze sculpture engraved with the words, written in Italian, “The peace is a fragile flower.”
The Pope’s Commitment to Peace
The Chicago native has made peace a hallmark of his fledgling papacy.
“You can probably imagine that people in the United States are extremely excited about you,” the vice president said.
The meeting ended with the vice president saying he would pray for the pope and with the pope replying, “I am sure we will meet again.”
Previous Meetings and Sports Affiliation
It’s the vice president’s second meeting with a head of the Catholic Church in about a month. Vance met pope Francis at the Vatican on Easter Sunday, the day before he died.
Bears coach Ben Johnson joked earlier this month that he’d “heard rumblings” the pope was a fan of his hometown team.
The pope, who was elected earlier this month, was born Robert Francis Prevost in Dolton and is an avowed White Sox fan. He and friend Ed Schmit even attended a White Sox World Series game in 2005, when the future pope was captured wearing a pinstriped jersey and checking his cell phone.
Conclusion
The meeting between Vice President JD Vance and Pope Leo XIV was a significant event, marking a new chapter in the relationship between the United States and the Catholic Church. The exchange of gifts, including the Bears jersey and the bronze sculpture, symbolized the commitment to peace and friendship between the two parties.
FAQs
Q: Who presented the Pope with a Bears jersey?
A: Vice President JD Vance presented the Pope with a Bears jersey.
Q: What was written on the back of the jersey?
A: “Pope Leo XIV” was emblazoned on the back of the navy jersey.
Q: What gift did the Pope present to the Vances?
A: The Pope presented the Vances with a bronze sculpture engraved with the words, written in Italian, “The peace is a fragile flower.”
