Before he died, Pope Francis met briefly Sunday morning with Vice President Vance. Vance was in Italy over the weekend meeting with Italian officials and celebrating Easter with his family. Vance converted to Catholicism in 2019.

The Holy See Press Office said the pair exchanged Easter greetings in a private meeting that lasted for a few minutes.

In February, Pope Francis warned that the Trump administration’s effort to dramatically ramp up deportations was driving a “major crisis.” The pope also appeared to criticize Vance directly for claiming that Catholic doctrine justified such policies.

In response, Vance said he would continue to defend his views. On Sunday, Vance told the Pope: “I know you have not been feeling great, but it’s good to see you in better health.” He added: “I pray for you every day.”