Vice President JD Vance toured the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, one of Christianity's holiest sites, on October 23, 2025. Accompanied by Second Lady Usha Vance, he spent about 90 minutes inside, participating in confession and a private mass. The visit highlighted his Catholic faith amid a broader trip to Israel.
The Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem is revered as the location of Jesus Christ's crucifixion at Golgotha, or Calvary, and his tomb, where pilgrims believe he was buried and resurrected. It also encompasses the Stone of the Anointing, believed to be where Christ's body was prepared for burial; the Prison of Christ; and the Chapel of Adam, thought to hold the skull of the biblical Adam. Originally constructed by Constantine the Great and dedicated around 336 AD, the church has endured destruction by Persians in 614 AD, an Islamic caliph around 1009 AD, and later rebuilds by Byzantines and Crusaders in the 12th century. Its current structure dates mostly to 1810.
Vance, a Catholic, and his wife began their tour at the Stone of the Anointing, where a bishop provided a red pillow for the vice president to kneel on. Vance made the sign of the cross, bowed his head, placed his hand on the slab, and prayed, while Usha Vance observed. They ascended to Calvary via a tall stairwell and each lit a candle there. Downstairs, they lit additional candles using a flame transferred daily from Christ's tomb, ensuring the light originated within it.
An Armenian bishop, the superior of his church's section, lit two white candles from this flame, intending to send them to the White House. "We are sending these lights to the White House," he told USA Today's Francesca Chambers. "May God bless America, the United States and Armenia and our friendship." Photos captured Vance in contemplation at the Calvary altar and conversing with guiding clergy. He joked to the bishops, "You guys have been protecting me from bumping my head. You could join the Secret Service."
After the visit, Vance expressed gratitude: "What an amazing blessing to have visited the site of Christ’s death and resurrection. I am immensely grateful to the Greek, Armenian, and Catholic priests who care for this most sacred of places. May the Prince of Peace have mercy on us, and bless our efforts for peace."
The trip concluded with Vance heading back to the United States, where he criticized a Knesset vote on West Bank annexation. "The policy of the Trump administration is that the West Bank will not be annexed by Israel. That will continue to be our policy," he said before boarding Air Force Two. "And if people want to take symbolic votes, they can do that. But we certainly weren’t happy about it." Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office described the vote as a "deliberate political provocation by the opposition to sow discord during Vice President JD Vance’s visit to Israel." The bills, sponsored by opposition members, lacked support from Likud and religious coalition parties, except one disgruntled Likud member, making passage unlikely.