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From left: JD Vance and Pope Francis.
The internet sure has a lot to say about these two meeting.
Pope Francis's death at 88, just hours after meeting U.S. Vice President JD Vance on Easter Sunday, has ignited a flurry of online speculation and dark humor. The timing of the meeting and the pontiff's passing led to trending hashtags like #JDVanceKilledThePope and #Antichrist.
The meeting between Pope Francis and JD Vance was not initially planned. Vance, who converted to Catholicism in 2019, had expressed a desire to meet the Pope during his Easter visit to Rome. Despite initial hesitations due to past criticisms of the Trump administration's immigration policies, Pope Francis agreed to a brief meeting at Casa Santa Marta. During their encounter, Vance conveyed his prayers and well-wishes, noting that the Pope appeared "obviously very ill."
The Pope's final address, delivered later that day, emphasized compassion for migrants and the marginalized, themes that have been central to his papacy. Observers noted the contrast between this message and the policies advocated by Vance and the Trump administration, especially in comparison to Trump’s rather aggressive Easter message on Truth Social, where he once again attacked Biden and anyone else who’d ever questioned him on anything.
Online reactions to the timing of the Pope’s death were swift and pointed. One user remarked, "Not him passing away 4 hours after this. JD Vance is the Antichrist confirmed."
Reddit threads were filled with similar sentiments, with users suggesting that Vance's presence was detrimental to those he met.
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While the online memes are largely tongue-in-cheek, they speak volumes about how Vance is perceived in certain corners of the internet, especially when juxtaposed with a Pope known for preaching compassion and inclusion. In the wake of Francis’s death, the symbolism of Vance being among his final visitors has sparked everything from conspiracy theories to commentary about political opportunism.
Whether you think it’s a coincidence, divine irony, or just X doing what X does best, one thing’s clear: the internet is not letting this moment go quietly.
Read on for more reactions as users try to make sense of one of the most bizarre Easter headlines in recent memory.
"Now I'm not saying that JD Vance killed the Pope, per se. I just think his actions raise some questions, like for example: Did JD Vance kill the Pope?"
"Polonium-210 transfer… #JDVanceKilledThePope"
"#JDVanceKilledThePope is trending. Because @JDVance killed the Pope."
"Is 20 hours the typical length of time it takes to die after encountering a demon sent by the Antichrist?"
"JD Vance started his week breaking the Ohio State Championship trophy...and then killed the Pope on Sunday... #JDVanceKilledThePope #Pope #JDVanceSucks"
"Vance meeting the Pope was a bad omen. If he swings by the Dalai Lama next, we’re in real trouble."
"I'm not even religious but the Pope dying at Easter Monday after meeting with JD Vance when he previously refused his visit is God himself pointing his finger at the Antichrist"
"So #JDVancekilledthePope, hm what’s next? Trump killing the King of England or Musk killing Obama or the Trump children killing Oprah? No matter what JD Vancedo now, we all are going to think of him pushing and chasing to meet the Pope at Easter(!), then the Pope dies after."
"Just a few hours after this meeting with @JDVance the Pope was dead. Can you imagine the conspiracy theories that would come if Vance was a Democrat?!"
"The very last thing Pope Francis did was defend immigrants to JD Vance’s face. He was a good man and a true Catholic. RIP"
"If 15m with @JDVance can kill the Pope, imagine the wreckage this cretin will cause on all those who practice unconditional love, kindness and tolerance of all humans despite skin-color or sexual orientation; and who want to see clean water & air for their kids and grandkids."
"I cannot believe pope francis' last act before going upstairs was to call for a ceasefire and tell jd vance to eat shit and die. queen shit."
"Now I'm not saying that JD Vance killed the Pope, per se. I just think his actions raise some questions, like for example: Did JD Vance kill the Pope?"
"JD Vance:
Called Trump Hitler: Now works for him
Held a trophy: It broke
Visited the vatican: The pope died
Went to India: Brewing war with Pakistan.
This man is bad fucking luck."
"ok maybe he is the antichrist, how are you gonna bring chaos and destruction to every country you visit???"
"I know I'll get shit for this, but what the hell - let's do another "JD Vance meets the Pope" meme thread. Post your best, post your worst. I'll start."
"there is no evidence JD Vance killed the Pope. there is also no evidence JD Vance didn’t kill the Pope. in conclusion, JD Vance should be deported to El Salvador."
"I don't think JD Vance killed the Pope, I think meeting JD Vance probably drained the Pope's will to live. It's subtly different."
"JD Vance receives his medal for a successful mission at the Vatican. Trump will apply to be the new Pope tomorrow."
"Guys, JD Vance did NOT kill the Pope and it’s stupid and immature to imply he did. The Pope killed himself after meeting JD Vance."
"The Vatican: 'Has anyone seen the pope!?' JD Vance with a suspiciously pope-shaped belly: 'grrrrr'"
Andrew J. Stillman is a freelance writer and yoga instructor exploring the world. Check him out at andrewjstillman.com or follow him @andrewjstillman on all the things.
Andrew J. Stillman is a freelance writer and yoga instructor exploring the world. Check him out at andrewjstillman.com or follow him @andrewjstillman on all the things.
