On Sunday, May 18, 2025, Ukrainian First Couple President Volodymyr Zelensky and First Lady Olena Zelenska attended Pope Leo XIV’s Inauguration Mass. The event, which took place in Rome, brought together heads of state and religious leaders from all over the world.

After the Mass, Pope Leo received President Zelensky and his wife in a private audience. Zelenska’s appearance quickly became a talking point on various platforms, where users shared compliments and observations. One Redditor wrote, “Olena is stunning! I’d like a closer look at the hat.” Another added, “She is beautiful indeed.”

Posts on X echoed similar sentiments. One read, “Mrs. Zelinsky he looks like royalty. Stunning. [sic]” Another user shared, “Class, dignity and humanity radiated from Olena Zelenska and Volodymyr Zelensky as they attended the Inaugural Mass of Pope Leo XIV on a beautiful day in Rome.”

The praise continued across other platforms. On Instagram, a viewer commented, “This is so beautiful, such a loving, basic human gesture: The giving of gifts. President Zelensky is a beautiful soul and his wife is stunning.”

Facebook users also expressed admiration. One person wrote, “Mrs. Zelensky is so pretty. Peace to Ukraine.” Another added, “She’s a natural beauty. Not all plastic and fake.” But not all attendees garnered the same level of public admiration.

The United States was represented at the Mass by U.S. Vice President JD Vance and Second Lady Usha Vance. Online commentators, however, had a more muted reaction to their appearance, with several pointing out that they lacked warmth throughout the event.

A rush of internet responses followed Vance’s meeting with Pope Leo XIV during the new pontiff’s first Mass. On the surface, the brief encounter appeared friendly, but viewers quickly criticised everything from body language to what they perceived as a lack of respect.

Vance and his spouse were among the religious and political dignitaries that attended the historic Mass in Vatican City that inaugurated Pope Leo’s pontificate—the first time the position has been held by an American. The pair participated in the event, which attracted international attention, despite the pontiff’s prior criticism of the Trump administration.

The 69-year-old pope greeted the vice president and his spouse briefly after the Mass. During a short 17-second interaction, the two parties shook hands and spoke briefly. Pope Leo was seen courteously nodding as Vance talked in a video clip that caught the incident.

What would have appeared to be a common diplomatic gesture, however, became a trending subject on the internet. The meeting finished with Vance giving the pope a warm pat on the shoulder, which many viewers felt was far too casual for the late Pope Francis’ successor.

Social media users scrutinized everything from Vance’s approach to what they perceived as a cold reaction from the pope and even his limited interaction with Usha Vance. One viewer didn’t hold back, bluntly stating, “Very disrespectful @JDVance.” Someone else weighed in, “JD needs some help in his faith. The Pope is not his business associate. Good grief.”

Another commenter analyzed the moment closely, “JD seemed a bit conflicted, one could tell. He didn’t know if he was to do this like he was the boss, or like where prevost was the boss. He was clearly awkward. Notice the shrug of the shoulders by prevost after JD passes on [sic].”

Another person took issue with the informality, noting, “He taps him on his shoulder like his buddy, not like the successor of St. Peter and the Vicar of Christ on earth. Please pray our Church returns to some remembrance of the importance of hierarchy.”

Some people focused on the pontiff’s demeanor, writing, “The body language by the pope was a bit cold there. Ouch?” From a different angle, someone pointed out, “It looked like the pope disregarded Mrs. Vance. Shaking hands and looking elsewhere. Nope. Not feeling it.”