By Claire Wang
Staff Writer
Bishop Kevin Vann, leader of the Diocese of Orange, met with Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican this week.
At the Wednesday, Aug. 6, papal general audience, Vann extended to the new pope prayers and love on behalf of his parishioners, diocese officials said.
Leo’s historic election in May thrilled Southern California Catholics, including Bishop Vann, a former classmate. Robert Prevost, a Chicago native, is the first American selected to lead the Roman Catholic Church, choosing Leo XIV as his papal name after his election on May 8. Leo and Vann studied canon law together in 1982 at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome, also known as the Angelicum.
Bishop Kevin Vann of the Diocese of Orange is greeted by Pope Leo XIV during a papal general audience at the Vatican this week. (Courtesy of Vatican Media)
Pop Leo XIV and Bishop Kevin Vann studied canon law together in 1982 at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome. (Courtesy of Vatican Media)
Bishop Kevin Vann of the Diocese of Orange is greeted by Pope Leo XIV during a papal general audience at the Vatican this week. (Courtesy of Vatican Media)
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Bishop Kevin Vann of the Diocese of Orange is greeted by Pope Leo XIV during a papal general audience at the Vatican this week. (Courtesy of Vatican Media)
Earlier in the month, Vann partook in a private reunion with the pope. At the Aug. 1 meeting, Vann presented the pope with a gift box prepared by young Latino residents of Garden Grove that contained, among many items, a document outlining efforts by the Diocese of Orange to support migrants and a class photo of the two leaders from their time at Angelicum.
Bishop Vann graduated from the Angelicum in 1985 with a doctoral degree in canon law; Leo graduated two years later.
In July, Vann celebrated two decades as a bishop, the majority of which he spent at the Orange diocese. In 2005, he was appointed the third bishop of the Diocese of Fort Worth, where he advocated for immigration reform and oversaw several sexual abuse settlements. He joined the Diocese of Orange in 2012.
Originally Published: August 8, 2025 at 5:20 PM PDT