JD Vance had admitted he felt "awful" for meeting Pope Francis just hours before his death.
The US vice-president was one of the last people to meet with the pontiff before his death in April last year and opened up on the experience in a new book, "Communion".
Published today, the book chronicles Mr Vance's spiritual journey and conversion, arriving at a pivotal moment as he weighs whether to run for president in 2028.
During a state visit to Rome, a priest approached the vice-president and invited him to meet with the Pope.
Mr Vance recalled being told: "The Pope would really like to meet with you while you're here. But he will decide in the morning whether he is up to it."
Vatican representatives and American diplomats "were clearly worried about whether it would be seen as a snub if the meeting fell through," Vance writes in the memoir.
The vice-president responded by issuing his best wishes to the pontiff, insisting Pope Francis should not feel obligated to receive him.
Despite his reservations, the 10-minute audience proceeded the following morning.
Mr Vance described being "unusually nervous" as he prepared to meet the visibly weakened religious leader.
The vice-president recalled: "He was more fragile than I realised, and I felt even worse that he had forced himself out of bed early to meet with me."
The encounter remained casual and brief, with Pope Francis presenting Easter gifts to the Vance children while the vice-president assured him of his family's prayers.
Afterwards, Mr Vance confided in his wife Usha: "It's sad. He's in very bad shape. But he was very kind."
Pope Francis died aged 88.
He had repeatedly found himself at odds with Donald Trump over immigration matters, particularly regarding the border wall with Mexico and the administration's deportation policies.
Mr Vance argues in his book that media coverage overstated these disagreements, maintaining the late pontiff "upheld the traditional order" in numerous respects.
He wrote: "Pope Francis's approach on immigration ... had forced difficult conversations."
Mr Vance added: "Very often, I'd find myself initially annoyed by a comment he had made, but then I'd read more and learn something."
The memoir arrives during a significant period for American Catholicism, with churches reporting increased membership following the election of Pope Leo XIV, the first US-born pontiff.
He was elected on May 8 last year.
Before being elected pope, he was appointed Cardinal by Pope Francis in 2023 and served as Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops, a powerful office responsible for selecting new bishops worldwide.
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