US Vice President JD Vance will lead a delegation to Vatican City to attend the inaugural Mass of Pope Leo XIV, the first US-born pope, on May 18, White House said in a statement. Vance and Second Lady Usha Vance will be joined by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and along with his wife Jeanette Rubio.

Pope Leo XIV, the first American leader of the Catholic Church, previously known as Robert Francis Prevost, returned to the Sistine Chapel the day after his election to deliver a mass for the College of Cardinals, where he described his role as both a cross to bear and a blessing and urged church leaders to make themselves “small.”

Catholics in the Rochester area reflected on the news Thursday of the historic election of Pope Leo XIV. BACKGROUND: Robert Francis Prevost named first American pope | New Pope, old tweets: Pope Leo XIV's past social media posts reveal views on US politics | First American pope elected has ties to PA as graduate of Villanova University In a groundbreaking moment for the Catholic Church,