JERUSALEM — Vice President J.D. Vance made a solemn pilgrimage to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem’s Old City, joined by senior clerics representing the Armenian, Greek, and Latin Patriarchates. The visit reflected both his personal faith and the broader spirit of Christian unity guiding his diplomatic mission in the region.
The Church of the Holy Sepulchre is revered by Christians worldwide as the site of both the Crucifixion and the tomb of Jesus Christ. Originally commissioned by the Roman Emperor Constantine I after his conversion to Christianity, the church was consecrated in 335 AD. Its custodianship is shared among the Roman Catholic, Greek Orthodox, and Armenian Apostolic communities.
Inside the church, Vice President Vance knelt and prayed at the Stone of Anointing — believed to be the place where Jesus’ body was prepared for burial. Accompanied by his wife, Second Lady Usha Vance, he spent nearly an hour and a half visiting the church’s most sacred sites, including the tomb traditionally recognized as that of Christ.
BREAKING: U.S. Vice President JD Vance visits the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, accompanied by the Armenian, Greek, and Latin Patriarchates—custodians of Christianity’s holiest sites. He paused to pray at the Stone of Anointment. pic.twitter.com/PBCznmZ9on
— Kegham Balian (@kbalian90) October 23, 2025
Following the visit, Vance described the experience as “an amazing blessing,” expressing gratitude to the clergy who maintain the holy site.
“What an amazing blessing to have visited the site of Christ’s death and resurrection,” Vance wrote. “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.”
Later in the day, the Vice President delivered remarks on the progress of the Middle East peace process, joined by Jared Kushner and developer Steve Witkoff — both key architects of the historic Israel-Hamas peace deal brokered under President Trump.
JD Vance at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher: pic.twitter.com/42on6KWgdU
— Jack Posobiec (@JackPosobiec) October 23, 2025
“We are one week into President Trump’s historic peace plan in the Middle East, and things are going better than expected,” Vance said. “You have two peoples — two enemies — who’ve fought a long, bitter conflict. One side includes a terrorist organization that murdered innocent people; the other, an Israeli army defending its nation. And caught in the middle are civilians in Gaza. But here, at the Civilian-Military Cooperation Center, Israelis and Americans are working together to rebuild Gaza, create lasting peace, and establish local security forces capable of maintaining order.”
The Vice President praised both Israeli and American personnel for their coordination efforts and criticized what he described as a “defeatist attitude” in parts of the Western media.
“Vance…made a nearly 90-minute pilgrimage to the ancient church traditionally believed to have been built over the site of the crucifixion and burial tomb of Jesus Christ.”https://t.co/Dp8qpaCZBN
— Andrew Surabian (@Surabees) October 23, 2025
🚨 JUST NOW: JD Vance says in Israel that President Trump’s Gaza peace deal is holding up “BETTER than I expected”
“This is a very, very tough situation. You have two peoples, two enemies who have fought a very tough conflict against each other.”
“You have a terrorist… pic.twitter.com/0QhAIdPuWs
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) October 21, 2025
“Every time violence flares up, the media rushes to declare the peace plan dead,” Vance said. “It’s not the end — it’s part of the process. We’re making real progress, and I’m confident we have the team to achieve lasting peace.”
He credited strong collaboration between the United States, Israel, Gulf Arab states, Indonesia, and Turkey as key to the initiative’s early success.
“This is an amazing moment,” Vance said. “I’m proud of our American troops and all those at the Command Center who are making this mission work.”