Conspiracy Theories Swirl After Pope Francis Dies Hours After Meeting JD Vance

A day after the death of Pope Francis at the age of 88, social media has been flooded with conspiracy theories, linking his demise to a meeting with US Vice President JD Vance.

Vance had met the Pope on Easter Sunday. Taking to X (formerly Twitter), he shared that he was saddened by the news of the Pope’s death. “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,” he posted.

“He was obviously very ill. But I’ll always remember him for a homily he gave during early COVID days. It was really quite beautiful. May God rest his soul,” Vance added.

The Vatican confirmed Pope Francis' death in a video statement on Monday. He had been battling multiple health issues and had previously survived a serious case of double pneumonia. He was the first Latin American pope and tried to reform the Church during his tenure, which also saw internal disagreements.

JD Vance’s meeting with the Pope came after tensions between the Vatican and the Trump administration over US plans to deport migrants. The meeting was brief and held at the Vatican hotel. During the meeting, the Pope gifted Vance a tie, rosaries, and three large chocolate Easter eggs for his children.

READ MORE: Who Will Be the Next Pontiff After Pope Francis? Check Names of Frontrunners | Republic World

However, soon after news of the Pope’s death broke, some people online began questioning the timing of the meeting and even accused Vance of foul play, without any evidence.

One user wrote, “JD Vance saw the Pope just hours before he died. Some are even saying the CIA sent him to kill the Pope. Sounds crazy, but people are talking.”

Another said, “What did you do, bro? What did you do?”

A third user posted sarcastic comments like, “Can you meet with Putin next?” and “Please visit George Soros now.”

Some also slammed him for insisting on meeting the Pope despite his weak health. “Did you feel a bit of guilt for insisting to meet him while he was so fragile?” A fifth user asked.

While many expressed outrage, some defended Vance and questioned the hate he was receiving. “Why are people so angry at JD for meeting the Pope? I’ve seen so many hateful comments,” one person wrote on X. 

Though there’s no proof behind these online claims, the strange timing of the Pope’s death right after meeting the US Vice President has sparked widespread chatter and speculation.