Washington
\nUS Vice President JD Vance has come under fire online for making what many consider an inappropriate gesture during his meeting with the newly elected Pope Leo XIV. Vance was seen lightly patting the pope on the elbow following a handshake after the papal inauguration mass at St Peter\u2019s Square on Sunday. Social media users described the act as overly familiar, disrespectful, and a breach of Vatican protocol.
\nVatican etiquette discourages any uninvited physical contact with the pope, apart from shaking hands or kissing the papal ring. Many online said Vance\u2019s gesture resembled greeting an old friend, which some described as condescending.
\n\u201cHe embarrassed himself at the Vatican,\u201d one user wrote. Others said he showed poor manners and disrespect for sacred tradition.
\nThe criticism follows another controversial moment last month when Vance was accused of violating Vatican rules by posting photographs from inside the Sistine Chapel, where photography is strictly prohibited.
\nPope Leo XIV, the first American elected as head of the Catholic Church, has previously been critical of several Republican policies, including those endorsed by Vance and Trump.
\nDespite their differing political stances, the Vatican meeting between Vance and Pope Leo appeared cordial until the criticised gesture took place.
\nWhen asked about the pope\u2019s political views, Vance said he would \u201cpray for him and the Church through it all.\u201d
\nPreviously, JD Vance met Pope Francis on Easter Sunday, just hours before the pope died of a stroke. The timing of the meeting led to a wave of memes and dark jokes on social media, with many users reacting to the unusual turn of events.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Washington US Vice President JD Vance has come under fire online for making what many consider an inappropriate gesture during his meeting with the newly elected Pope Leo XIV. Vance was seen lightly patting the pope on the elbow following a handshake after the papal inauguration mass at St Peter\u2019s Square on Sunday. Social media […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":479588,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-479570","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world"},"yoast_head":"\n