Trump invites Pope Leo to visit White House

WASHINGTON – US President Donald Trump invited Pope Leo, the first American pontiff, to visit him in Washington, the White House said on May 19.

Mr Trump extended the invite in a letter delivered by Vice-President J.D. Vance, who attended the Pope’s inaugural mass on May 18 and then

met privately with the Catholic leader

, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters.

“The Vice-President passed along a letter to the Pope from the President and from the First Lady, extending their warm wishes and inviting them to the White House as soon as he possibly can,” Ms Leavitt said.

Pope Leo has already sought to

act as a mediator of global conflicts

, offering to assist in negotiations to end the war between Russia and Ukraine.

Over the weekend, both Pope Leo and Mr Vance met privately with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky ahead of a planned call between Mr Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin on May 19.

During his inaugural mass, Pope Leo said he would work for a reconciled world.

“We still see too much discord, too many wounds caused by hatred, violence, prejudice, the fear of difference, and an economic paradigm that exploits the Earth’s resources and marginalises the poorest,” he said.

In addition to the letter, Mr Vance delivered the Pope a jersey from his hometown Chicago Bears with “Pope Leo XIV” on the back as well as a copy of Saint Augustine’s City of God. BLOOMBERG