Pope Leo XIV has officially dissed Catholic JD Vance's formal invitation to the upcoming July 4th 250th festivities in the United States. Instead, the Pope, formerly of Chicago, will be celebrating that day "on the tiny Italian island of Lampedusa " a migrant gateway in the Mediterranean," reports Christopher Hale, who chronicles the Vatican's doings with his "Letters from Leo" reports. " ... [B]ack in May 2025, JD Vance personally invited Pope Leo to take part in the anniversary celebrations. Many assumed Trump and Vance would welcome the first American pope with open arms during this historic jubilee. But Pope Leo never accepted the offer," reports Hale, adding that the rejection came days after the Vatican also rejected an invitation to President Donald Trump's "Board of Peace."