A Century of Papal Power Plays: White House and Vatican’s Unlikely Bromance

Pontiffs and presidents: not exactly your usual political duo, but when these two powerhouses meet, history tends to get a little dramatic.

The relationship between the White House and the Vatican has spanned a century, featuring a cast of notable popes and leaders who have met in both Washington and Vatican City. The most recent chapter closed with the passing of Pope Francis, who died on Easter Monday at 88 after a long struggle with health issues. During his time as the head of the Roman Catholic Church from 2013, Francis met with three U.S. presidents—proof that papal diplomacy is still alive and well.

Pope Francis’ final high-profile meeting happened just hours before his death, when Vice President JD Vance made the trip to Italy for the Easter holiday. Vance greeted the pope warmly, remarking, "I know you’ve not been feeling great, but it’s good see you in better health." He added, "I pray for you every day. God bless you." Talk about timing—being one of the last people to meet the pope is a story Vance won’t have to embellish for his memoir.

Looking back, the White House-Vatican connection has often played out like a high-stakes chess match. One of the most famous encounters occurred in 1982, right in the thick of the Cold War, when President Ronald Reagan and Pope John Paul II met at the Vatican. Both had survived assassination attempts just a year prior, and their subsequent partnership was laser-focused on taking down communism. Sometimes, history really does serve up plot twists that even Hollywood would envy.

Their alliance continued in 1984 in Fairbanks, Alaska, where Reagan lauded the pope as a "minister of peace and love," recognizing his influence as a beacon for the oppressed. The duo’s mission was clear: push back against the spread of communism, especially in Eastern Europe. Their collaborative support for Poland’s Solidarity labor movement helped spark a domino effect, leading to the collapse of communism across the Eastern Bloc by 1989. If only all international friendships were this productive.

While the Vatican has denied any formal alliance with the U.S. during this time, even they admit that Reagan and John Paul II shared a common goal—ending totalitarian rule. In the words of former Gov. Scott Walker, their partnership was nothing short of a "divine plan" to bring down the Soviet empire. That’s one way to make a mark on history.

The first ever meeting between a sitting U.S. president and pontiff dates back to 1919, when Woodrow Wilson visited Pope Benedict XV in Rome, signaling the start of a diplomatic dance that would only become routine decades later. Anti-Catholic sentiment at the time made this meeting even more significant, setting the stage for a tradition of presidential-papal powwows.

The trend didn’t really catch on until President Dwight Eisenhower visited Pope John XXIII in 1959. Since then, every U.S. president has met with the current pope, resulting in a whopping 32 meetings over the last 65 years. It wasn’t until 1979 that a pope—John Paul II—made the trip to the White House, greeted like a rock star and earning the nickname "John Paul, Superstar."

Pope visits to the White House remain rare treats—Benedict came in 2008 to celebrate his 81st birthday with President George W. Bush, and Francis met with Barack Obama in 2015. Most papal meetings still happen on the pope’s home turf.

As for the present, former President Donald Trump, who famously clashed with Francis on issues from climate policy to politics, plans to travel to Rome later this week for the pope’s funeral. He announced, "Melania and I will be going to the funeral of Pope Francis, in Rome. We look forward to being there!" One thing’s for sure: whether it’s agreement or disagreement, popes and presidents know how to keep the world watching.