Vice President JD Vance shared that although he was "surprised" by Pope Francis’ criticism on the Trump administration’s immigration policy, he believes the pontiff is "fundamentally a person who cares about the flock of Christians."

While speaking at the National Catholic Prayer Breakfast in Washington, D.C., on Friday, Vance – a convert to Catholicism – said that although he disagrees with Francis and some Catholic bishops on certain stances, he and his children pray for the pope daily.

Francis, 88, is currently suffering from pneumonia and an infection in both lungs and is being treated in Rome's Gemelli Hospital. 

Earlier this month, Francis issued a major rebuke of the Trump administration’s plans for the mass deportations of migrants, stressing that the forceful removal of people simply for their immigration status deprives them of their inherent dignity and "will end badly."

US CONFERENCE OF CATHOLIC BISHOPS SUES TRUMP OVER IMMIGRATION, REFUGEE FUNDING FREEZE

Francis wrote a letter to the U.S. bishops, in which he appeared to criticize Vance's religious argument in defense of the deportation policies.

Despite this, Vance shared a message of unity between Catholics and Christians, saying, "I don't think it's good for us as Christians to constantly fight with one another over every single controversy in the church."

"Sometimes we should let this stuff play out a little bit and try to live our faith as best we can, under the dictates of our faith and under the dictates of our spiritual leaders but not hold them to the standards of social media influencers because they're not," he added. "My goal is not to litigate when I'm right and when they're wrong or vice versa. My goal is to maybe articulate the way that I think about being a Christian in public life when you also have religious leaders in public life who have a spiritual duty to speak on the issues of the day."

The vice president even led attendees in a prayer for the pope.

POPE FRANCIS' CONDITION IMPROVING BUT WILL REMAIN 'GUARDED' UNTIL HE IS STABLE FOR SEVERAL DAYS: VATICAN

"I believe that the pope is fundamentally a person who cares about the flock of Christians under his leadership, and he's a man who cares about the spiritual direction of the faith," said Vance. "Every day me and my children have said a prayer for the Holy Father, and we pray for his health, and we pray for his comfort as he deals with what appears to be a pretty serious health crisis."

He shared a significant memory of his of the pope’s message of courage and hope in the earliest days of the COVID-19 Pandemic, which began just weeks after his daughter’s birth.

VANCE VOWS TRUMP ADMINISTRATION WILL BE 'BIGGEST DEFENDERS OF RELIGIOUS LIBERTIES,' CATHOLICS

"I will always remember the Holy Father, whether he makes his way through this illness - and I certainly hope that he does - I will always remember the Holy Father in March of 2020, at a time of incredible stress for really the entire world … the Holy Father standing in an empty Saint Peter's Square, holding the Eucharist above his head and giving a sermon that I return to consistently, because it was incredibly meaningful to me at the time, [and] it remains meaningful today."

Concluding, Vance said, "If the Holy Father can hear us, I hope he knows that there are thousands of faithful Catholics in this room and millions of faithful Catholics in this country who are praying for him as he weathers his particular storm."

Pope Francis signed a letter of resignation in 2013 to be used in case he was forced from his duties as a result of bad health.

"I have already signed my resignation. Tarcisio Bertone was Secretary of State. I signed it and I told him: ‘In case of impediment for medical reasons or whatever, here is my resignation,’" the Pope said during a 2022 interview, according to a report at the time from the New York Post.

The resurfaced interview comes as Francis has been hospitalized for over a week and was reported to be in critical condition after suffering an asthmatic respiratory crisis on Saturday, according to a report from the Associated Press.

POPE FRANCIS HAD PEACEFUL NIGHT'S REST AT HOSPITAL FOLLOWING RESPIRATORY CRISIS, VATICAN SAYS

Francis also received blood transfusions after tests revealed he had a low platelet count, according to a Reuters report.

Francis, who turned 88 in December, has long faced questions about what he would do if health issues left him unable to carry out his duties. Such questions would have been unheard of prior to 2013, when Pope Benedict XVI resigned, becoming the first papal resignation in over 600 years.

Francis revealed during the 2022 interview that he gave his resignation letter to the Vatican secretary of state, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, a holdover from Benedict XVI, about six months after being elected to the papacy in March 2013.

POPE FRANCIS SHARES WRITTEN MESSAGE WHILE CONTINUING HOSPITALIZATION

"You have it. I don’t know to whom Cardinal Bertone may have given it, but I gave it to him when he was secretary of state," Francis said at the time. 

As Francis continued his hospitalization in Rome on Sunday, he shared a message thanking those who have kept him in their prayers during his health struggle.

"I have recently received many messages of affection, and I have been particularly struck by the letters and drawings from children," Pope Francis posted on X Sunday. "Thank you for your closeness, and for the consoling prayers I have received from all over the world!" 

"I urge you to continue your apostolate with joy and to be a sign of a love that embraces everyone, as the #GospelOfTheDay suggests," another post said. "May we transform evil into goodness and build a fraternal world. Do not be afraid to take risks for love!"

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) sued President Donald Trump's administration for halting funding to a refugee resettlement program on Wednesday.

The USCCB filing joins a litany of lawsuits seeking to block Trump from ending funding for various government programs and agencies. The suit relates to the Refugee Act of 1980, under which the USCCB worked in tandem with the U.S. government to resettle over 930,000 refugees, the lawsuit claims.

"For decades, the US government has chosen to admit refugees and outsourced its statutory responsibility to provide those refugees with resettlement assistance to non-profit organizations like USCCB," the lawsuit reads, according to the Catholic Herald.

"But now, after refugees have arrived and been placed in USCCB’s care, the government is attempting to pull the rug out from under USCCB’s programs by halting funding," it continued.

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The State Department’s Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration issued a suspension letter for the program soon after Trump entered office, though the USCCB argues the letter made clear that the department would reimburse the USCCB for its work up to Jan. 24.

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The USCCB lawsuit argues both that it has not received reimbursement up to Jan. 24, and that it is illegal for the Trump administration to unilaterally cut off congressionally approved funding.

The conference noted that the funding freeze has forced them to begin off-rolling 50 of its employees focused on refugee resettlement.

The lawsuit comes days after a federal judge issued an order compelling the Trump administration to lift its three-week funding freeze on U.S. foreign aid last week.

Judge Amir Ali noted in his ruling that the Trump administration argued it had to shut down funding for the thousands of U.S. Agency for International Development programs abroad to conduct a thorough review of each program and whether it should be eliminated.

But the judge said that Trump officials failed to explain why a "blanket suspension" of foreign aid programs was necessary before the programs were more thoroughly reviewed. 

• Pope Francis, 88, is in hospital with a polymicrobial respiratory tract infection.
• He had bronchitis, which may have led to the infection.
• Infections can be more serious for the elderly and those with underlying health conditions.

Pope Francis has been in hospital in Rome since Friday, when he was diagnosed with a polymicrobial respiratory tract infection. Given he is 88 and has one lung, he faces greater risks from the condition than the average person.

The Pope is in a stable condition and able to read and work from hospital, but the infection presents a "complex clinical picture" and has required a change in his drug therapy, the Vatican said on Monday.

The Argentine Pope has suffered from respiratory infections in the winter months before and had bronchitis before he was hospitalized.

He developed an inflammation of the tissues surrounding his right lung when he was 21, and had three pulmonary cysts and a small part of the organ removed, according to Vatican News. The Pope has also been in hospital for various conditions, including pneumonia, during his 12-years as head of the Roman Catholic Church.

Older people are more susceptible to lung infections

Polymicrobial respiratory tract infections can be caused by a mixture of bacteria, fungi, viruses, or parasites growing in the lungs, as per the National Institutes of Health.

Symptoms include a cough, breathlessness, a high temperature, sneezing, and headaches.

Dr. Maor Sauler, a specialist in pulmonary injury and care at Yale University's School of Medicine, told the Associated Press that bronchitis can lead to lung infections in older people, those with existing health issues, or those with weak immune systems.

"It likely means he has more than one organism in his lungs," Sauler said.

Treatment depends on whether the infection is bacterial or viral, and can take a few days to two weeks to work. It can include antibiotics if the infection is bacterial, or simply rest if it's viral.

Dr. Nick Hopkinson, the medical director of Asthma + Lung UK, told AP bacteria can "colonize" the airways of someone whose lungs are damaged, potentially making infections harder to treat.

Such patients may need breathing aids or physiotherapy to clear fluid in their lungs.

But Hopkinson added: "If they've identified particular things to treat, they can treat those and he'll start to recover."

Pope Francis on Tuesday issued a major rebuke of the Trump administration’s plans for the mass deportations of migrants, stressing that the forceful removal of people simply for their immigration status deprives them of their inherent dignity and "will end badly."

Francis wrote a letter to U.S. bishops, in which he appeared to criticize Vice President JD Vance's religious argument in defense of the deportation policies.

U.S. border czar Tom Homan responded to the pope, saying that the Vatican is a city-state surrounded by walls and that Francis should leave immigration enforcement to him. Homan, a Catholic, also said Francis should focus on fixing the Catholic Church rather than U.S. immigration policies.

"He wants to attack us for securing our border. He's got a wall around the Vatican, does he not?" Homan told reporters. "So he's got a wall around that protects his people and himself, but we can't have a wall around the United States."

DOZENS OF RELIGIOUS GROUPS SUE TO STOP TRUMP ADMIN FROM ARRESTING MIGRANTS IN PLACES OF WORSHIP

As the first Latin American pope, Francis has long held the position of caring for immigrants, pointing to the biblical command to "welcome the stranger" in calling on countries to welcome, protect, promote and integrate people fleeing conflicts, poverty and climate disasters.

Francis and President Donald Trump have long butted heads over the issue of immigration, including prior to Trump's first term, when Francis said in 2016 that anyone who builds a wall to keep migrants out was "not a Christian."

In his letter, Francis acknowledged that governments have the right to defend their countries and keep their communities safe from criminals, but he added the deportation of people who fled their countries due to various difficult circumstances damages their dignity.

"That said, the act of deporting people who in many cases have left their own land for reasons of extreme poverty, insecurity, exploitation, persecution or serious deterioration of the environment, damages the dignity of many men and women, and of entire families, and places them in a state of particular vulnerability and defenselessness," he wrote.

Pointing to the Book of Exodus in the Bible and Jesus Christ's experience, Francis emphasized the right of people to seek shelter and safety in other lands and said the Trump administration's deportation plan was a "major crisis."

Anyone educated in Christianity, he said, "cannot fail to make a critical judgment and express its disagreement with any measure that tacitly or explicitly identifies the illegal status of some migrants with criminality."

"What is built on the basis of force, and not on the truth about the equal dignity of every human being, begins badly and will end badly," he continued.

POPE FRANCIS CALLS TRUMP'S DEPORTATION PLAN A 'DISGRACE'

The president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, Archbishop Timothy Broglio, thanked the pope for his letter.

"With you, we pray that the U.S. government keep its prior commitments to help those in desperate need," Broglio wrote. "Boldly I ask for your continued prayers so that we may find the courage as a nation to build a more humane system of immigration, one that protects our communities while safeguarding the dignity of all."

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said last week that more than 8,000 people had been arrested since Trump took office Jan. 20 as part of the president's plan to detain and deport immigrants in the country illegally, although hundreds of those arrested have since been released back into the U.S. Others have been deported, are being held in federal prisons or are being held at the Guantánamo Bay Cuba, detention camp.

Vance, a Catholic convert, has defended the administration's deportation plans by citing a concept from medieval Catholic theology known in Latin as "ordo amoris," which he has said describes a hierarchy of care: prioritizing the family first, then the neighbor, community, fellow citizens and lastly those from other regions.

However, Francis sought to fact-check Vance's understanding of the concept.

"Christian love is not a concentric expansion of interests that little by little extend to other persons and groups," Francis wrote in his letter. "The true ordo amoris that must be promoted is that which we discover by meditating constantly on the parable of the ‘Good Samaritan,’ that is, by meditating on the love that builds a fraternity open to all, without exception."

As Homan referenced, the Vatican is a walled-in, 108-acre city-state inside Rome, and it recently increased sanctions for anyone who enters illegally. The law, approved in December, calls for people to face up to four years in prison and a fine of up to 25,000 euros, or $25,873, if they enter with "violence, threat or deception," including by evading security checkpoints.

The U.S. bishops conference had already released a statement condemning Trump’s immigration policies after his first executive orders.

Anyone "focused on the treatment of immigrants and refugees, foreign aid, expansion of the death penalty, and the environment, are deeply troubling and will have negative consequences, many of which will harm the most vulnerable among us," the statement said.

Cardinal Blase Cupich of Chicago praised Francis' letter, telling Vatican Media that it showed the pope viewed "the protection and advocacy for the dignity of migrants as the preeminent urgency at this moment."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Pope Francis shared his prayers and extended "cordial greetings" to President-elect Trump ahead of his inaugural ceremony Monday morning.

"I ask God to guide your efforts in promoting peace and reconciliation among peoples," Pope Francis said in a message addressed to the president-elect.

"On the occasion of your inauguration as the forty-seventh President of the United States of America, I offer cordial greetings and the assurance of my prayers that Almighty God will grant you wisdom, strength, and protection in the exercise of your high duties," his message read.

POPE FRANCIS INJURED AS VATICAN CONFIRMS 2ND FALL IN MATTER OF WEEKS

"Inspired by your nation’s ideals of being a land of opportunity and welcome for all, it is my hope that under your leadership the American people will prosper and always strive to build a more just society, where there is no room for hatred, discrimination or exclusion."

Pope Francis continued on to "ask God to guide your efforts in promoting peace and reconciliation among peoples" amid "numerous challenges" and "the scourge of war."

"With these sentiments," Pope Francis continued, "I invoke upon you, your family, and the beloved American people an abundance of divine blessings."

BIDEN AWARDS POPE FRANCIS WITH HIGHEST CIVILIAN HONOR, PRESIDENTIAL MEDAL OF FREEDOM, OVER THE PHONE

Pope Francis criticized Trump's deportation policy just one day prior, saying Sunday on an evening television program, "If true, this will be a disgrace."

"This won’t do. This is not the way to solve things. That’s not how things are resolved," the pope said of Trump's planned deportations.

Trump's incoming administration is said to be eyeing immigration arrests of illegal immigrants across the country as soon as day one, as top officials say they are ready to "take the handcuffs off" Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

The pope also recently cited "fake news" as the root cause of Trump's assassination attempts last year. 

POPE FRANCIS KICKS OFF HOLY YEAR AT VATICAN WITH OVER 32 MILLION VISITORS EXPECTED

During the pontiff's annual "state of the world" address earlier this month, Francis pointed to "fake news" as the root of division and distrust in society that ultimately led to two attempts on Trump's life in 2024. 

"This phenomenon generates false images of reality, a climate of suspicion that foments hate, undermines people’s sense of security, and compromises civil coexistence and the stability of entire nations. Tragic examples of this are the attacks on the chairman of the government of the Slovak Republic and the president-elect of the United States of America," he said.

Fox News Digital's Adam Shaw, Gabriel Hays and the Associated Press contributed to this report. 

President Joe Biden awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom with distinction, the nation's highest civilian honor, to Pope Francis on Saturday.

The medal was scheduled to be presented to the pope in person in Rome during what was to be Biden's final overseas trip of his presidency, but Biden canceled his travel plans so he could monitor the wildfires in California.

Instead, Biden bestowed the award on the pope during a phone call in which they also discussed efforts to promote peace and alleviate suffering around the world.

"Pope Francis is unlike any who came before," a White House announcement reads. "Above all, he is the People’s Pope – a light of faith, hope, and love that shines brightly across the world."

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It was the first time during his four years in office that Biden awarded the medal "with distinction," it said.

Biden, 82, leaves office on Jan. 20. The lifelong Catholic is also a recipient of the award with distinction, recognized when he was vice president by then-President Barack Obama in a surprise ceremony eight years ago. That was the only time in Obama's two terms when he awarded that version of the medal, according to the Associated Press.

Both Biden and Francis have been weakened by global events, said Massimo Faggioli, an Italian academic and professor at Villanova University who follows the papacy.

"That is really hard to underestimate how tragic this moment is for both men in different ways," he said. "Because what could go wrong did go wrong in these few years."

The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report. 

Just five days before Christmas, President-elect Donald Trump announced he is appointing outspoken conservative and president of CatholicVote Brian Burch to serve as the U.S. ambassador to the Vatican. 

The Vatican, also known as the "Holy See," is the center of the Roman Catholic Church, which is led by Pope Francis. There are roughly 52 million Catholics in the U.S. 

Burch, a father of nine, is an outspoken supporter of the president-elect. His organization, CatholicVote, a conservative activist group, issued its first presidential endorsement in Trump’s favor this year.

Catholic voters across the country swung massively toward Trump in the 2024 election, contributing to his surprise blowout victory on election night.

CATHOLIC SWING VOTERS WERE CRITICAL TO DONALD TRUMP'S BLOWOUT VICTORY: 'HARRIS SNUBBED US'

In his post announcing the nomination, Trump credited Burch for his significant gains among Catholic voters in November, saying that Burch "represented me well during the last Election, having garnered more Catholic votes than any Presidential Candidate in History!"

"I am pleased to announce that Brian Burch will serve as the next United States Ambassador to the Holy See," said Trump. "Brian is a devout Catholic, a father of nine, and President of CatholicVote. He has received numerous awards, and demonstrated exceptional leadership, helping build one of the largest Catholic advocacy groups in the Country."

"Brian loves his Church and the United States - He will make us all proud," the president-elect said. "Congratulations to Brian, his wife Sara, and their incredible family!"

TRUMP ADMINISTRATION PICKS' FAMILIES HAVE 1 THING IN COMMON

Burch responded to his nomination by posting on X: "To God be the glory."

"Words cannot express my gratitude to all those that have helped me achieve this nomination," said Burch. "I am deeply honored and humbled to have been nominated by President Trump to serve as the United States Ambassador to the Holy See."

He thanked his family, the CatholicVote team and gave special credit to his recently deceased father who, he said, "taught me to love the Church and the blessings and responsibilities of being a citizen of the U.S."

"The Catholic Church is the largest and most important religious institution in the world, and its relationship to the United States is of vital importance," said Burch. "I am committed to working with leaders inside the Vatican and the new Administration to promote the dignity of all people and the common good. I look forward to the confirmation process and the opportunity to continue to serve my country and the Church."

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CatholicVote also responded to the announcement, saying the group is "immensely proud" of Burch and that his nomination "is a testament to the importance of Catholics to the United States."

"Under Brian's leadership, CatholicVote has launched influential campaigns exposing violence against Catholic churches and uncovering government overreach targeting Catholics and pro-life advocates," the group said. "Beyond his professional work, Brian is a devoted husband and father of nine children. His commitment to family life informs his passion for building a culture that upholds the dignity of every human person and supports the central role of families in society." 

The new Trump administration will have several Catholics in high-ranking positions, including Vice-president JD Vance, Secretary of State nominee Marco Rubio, Health and Human Services Secretary nominee Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and border czar Tom Homan. 

The position of ambassador to the Holy See requires Senate confirmation.

The White House announced that President Joe Biden will head to Italy next month for a public meeting with Pope Francis in Vatican City before his term comes to an end.

Biden accepted the invitation to visit Vatican City during a phone call with Pope Francis Thursday, according to the White House. 

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Thursday that Biden would meet with Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and President Sergio Mattarella during the overseas trip. The four-day trip is planned for the second week in January, and the meeting between Biden and Pope Francis will occur in front of an audience on Jan. 10. 

"President Biden will have an audience with the Pope and discuss efforts to advance peace around the world," Jean-Pierre said Thursday. "He will also meet with Italy’s leaders to highlight the strength of the U.S.-Italy relationship, thank Prime Minister Meloni for her strong leadership of the G7 over the past year, and discuss important challenges facing the world." 

Italy's position as president of the G7 countries, a position that rotates annually, will come to an end in the new year. The G7 is a cohort of the world's largest advanced economies.

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Biden's trip to meet with Pope Francis will come shortly after the Vatican begins its Holy Year on Dec. 24, a centuries-long tradition that occurs every 25 years, during which pilgrims travel to Rome to visit holy sites and receive forgiveness.  

Biden is only the nation's second Catholic president, after John F. Kennedy. He has met with popes, including Francis, throughout his political career. The trips have also been reciprocated by Francis, who made his first formal visit to the U.S. when Biden was vice president.

Biden last met with Pope Francis in June, during which the pair discussed both the war in Israel and the war Russia is waging against Ukraine. The leaders reportedly emphasized the urgent need for a ceasefire in Gaza and the need to cement a hostage deal during their talks. They also spoke about the ongoing humanitarian impacts of Russia's war against Ukraine, according to the U.S. embassy in Italy. 

The pair met in 2021 as well, which was only the second time a U.S. president other than Kennedy had met with a pontiff. During the private talk, Biden reportedly lauded Francis's leadership "in fighting the climate crisis, as well as his advocacy to ensure the pandemic ends for everyone through vaccine sharing and equitable global economic recovery."

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One area where the two leaders' viewpoints notably diverge is abortion, however. Due to Biden's pro-choice stance, many critics, including Catholic bishops, questioned early on in his presidency whether Biden could continue receiving Holy Communion. But following the June meeting at the Vatican, Biden said that Francis expressed support for Biden to be allowed to continue receiving the sacrament.

Biden's trip in the final month of his presidency is expected to be his last overseas.

It will mark a rare occurrence, according to the Associated Press, which noted that the last president to travel overseas during the final month of his presidency was fellow one-term President George H.W. Bush. Bush traveled to Moscow and Paris on diplomatic missions to shore up a nuclear treaty and discuss the Bosnian war that was taking place at the time with France's then-president, according to historical records from the State Department.