WASHINGTON — Vice President JD Vance shared his condolences April 21 after the death of Pope Francis, a day after he met with the head of the Catholic Church in the Vatican.

Vance, a Catholic convert who clashed with Francis in the past over immigration, complimented the late Catholic leader for the homily he gave early in the pandemic.

“I just learned of the passing of Pope Francis. My heart goes out to the millions of Christians all over the world who loved him. I was happy to see him yesterday, though he was obviously very ill. But I’ll always remember him for the below homily he gave in the very early days of COVID. It was really quite beautiful,” Vance posted on X.

Vance visited the Vatican over the weekend and met with the Pope on Easter Sunday before he and his family departed for India. Vance also held talks in Rome with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni at the start of his three-day visit.

The vice president had a formal meeting with Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin on April 19, and returned on April 20 for a brief interaction with the Pope. Photos taken by the Vatican and shared by the White House showed a smiling Vance seated across from Francis, who was in a wheelchair.

Francis spent five weeks in the hospital after coming down with pneumonia earlier this year. He returned the Vatican in March. He died at age 88 on April 21.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.