The US Vice President, Jay Di Vancevisited the M. Saturday the Vaticanin order to meet high -ranking officials her Catholic Churchwho have fiercely criticized his government policies Donald Trumpin the first live contact of the second presidency of the Republican president with the Holy See.

Vance, a Catholic himself, has publicly clashed with Pope Francis For strict US immigration policy. In Rome he had conversations with his Cardinal Pietro ParolinMinister of Foreign Affairs of the Vatican, and his close associate.

According to a Vatican announcement, as reported by a report Reutersboth sides had “heartfelt conversations”, in which they exchanged views on international developments, with a focus on “countries affected by war, political tensions and difficult humanitarian conditions, with particular reference to immigrants, refugees and prisoners”.

Pope Francis, recovering from double pneumonia and has limited his public appearances upon the order of his doctors, did not attend the meeting. Vance is in Italy on the occasion of the Easter holidays of the Catholics.

The Vatican leadership has expressed strong dissatisfaction with the Trump government’s policies, from plans for mass expulsion of immigrants to sweeping cuts in international development aid and social costs.

“The visit is taking place at a sensitive context,” commented Italian University Massimo Fatzioli, a Vatican expert. “The relationship with the US is currently a top priority for the Holy See.”

The Pope has described Trump policies in the migration “shame”, while Vance has cited theological principles of the Middle Ages to justify them. Francis himself responded to these reports in an open letter to the US Bishops in February, denouncing the migration plan as a “big crisis” for the country.

“Whatever is based on violence and not on the truth of all people’s equality, it begins wrong and will end wrong,” Pontiff said at the time.

State and church in distance

Vance had visited the Vatican and Holy Thursday, participating with his family in a religious ceremony at St. Peter’s Basilica.

At the same time, the charity of the Catholic Church has described Trump’s cuts in funding international aid as “devastating” for developing countries.

The US Bishops’ Conference has announced that, due to cuts, it is forced to cut off years of cooperation with the federal government to assist immigrants and refugees.

Bishops spokesman, Tsieko Nogoutsi, told Reuters that Cardinal Parolin is “fully aware” of the challenges facing the Catholic Church in the United States.

“We pray for the meeting to bear fruit and be a starting point for a constructive dialogue,” he said.