Vatican City - Pope Leo XIV received Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the Vatican on Monday, a day after the pontiff's inaugural mass in St. Peter's Square.

The Vatican released photographs of Vance and Rubio smiling as they met with the Chicago-born Pope, who was elected as head of the world's 1.4 billion Catholics on May 8.

Vance went on to meet with the Holy See's secretary for relations with states and international organizations, Paul Richard Gallagher, the Vatican said.

"During the 'cordial' talks held at the Secretariat of State, satisfaction at the good bilateral relations was reiterated, and the collaboration between Church and State was discussed, as well as some matters of special relevance to ecclesial life and religious freedom," the Vatican said in a statement.

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"Finally, there was an exchange of views on some current international issues, calling for respect for humanitarian law and international law in areas of conflict and for a negotiated solution between the parties involved," the Vatican said.

Vance and Rubio were among the 200,000 dignitaries, royals and faithful gathered on Sunday to mark the official start of Pope Leo's papacy in St. Peter's Square.

In a post on X on Sunday, the White House shared footage of Pope Leo greeting Vance and Rubio in St. Peter's Basilica following the mass, but did not reveal what was said or discussed in the brief exchange.

Pope Leo has previously criticized President Donald Trump's administration over its approach to migration and has pilloried Vance. Despite this, Vance insisted that he was "very proud" of the first US-born pope.

"Certainly our prayers go with him as he starts this very important work," Vance said at a meeting with EU chief Ursula von der Leyen and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on Sunday.