Vance Makes Pilgrimage to Church of Holy Sepulchre

JERUSALEM — On Thursday, His Beatitude Theophilos III, together with the Heads of the Churches of the Status Quo communities, the Custos of the Holy Land, and the representative of the Armenian Patriarchate, welcomed U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance and his wife, Usha, to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.

Vance, who is a Roman Catholic, spent nearly 90 minutes at the holy site, making stops at Golgotha, the Stone of Anointing, and the tomb of the Holy Sepulchre. At the latter, the vice president knelt down, made the Sign of the Cross, bowed his head, and placed his hand on the tomb in a moment of silent prayer. 

His wife, who is a Hindu, watched on during these moments. Vance then went to confession with a Catholic priest and attended a private Mass.

According to a release from the Jerusalem Patriarchate, while visiting with Vance at the site of Jesus Christ's crucifixion, burial, and resurrection, His Beatitude Pat. Theophilos III "conveyed his respectful greetings to President Donald J. Trump and expressed his heartfelt appreciation for the efforts of the United States administration, under President Trump’s leadership, to bring about a ceasefire in Gaza and to alleviate the suffering of the innocent."

The Vances each lit a candle from the flame that is at the Holy Sepulchre each day, with an Armenian bishop lighting two more white candles for them to bring back to the White House, telling a pool reporter from USA Today:

"May God bless America, the United States and Armenia and our friendship."

Also on Thursday, Vance offered harsh words in response to Israel's Parliament vote on annexing the West Bank. As reported by NPR, the vice president said it amounted to an "insult," and that if the Knesset vote was a "political stunt, then it is a very stupid political stunt."

Previously, UOJ reported that Vance, who was in Israel for meetings in relation to the recent ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, had stated his intention to visit the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.