U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican.
While President Donald Trump has publicly criticized the Pope for opposing the war with Iran, the State Department emphasized the strong relationship and friendly, constructive dialogue with the Vatican following Rubio’s meeting.
AFP and Reuters reported that Secretary Rubio met with the Pope in the Apostolic Palace and held discussions with high-ranking officials, including Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican’s Secretary of State.
Cardinal Parolin stated that Rubio’s visit to the Vatican was at the request of the U.S. side. The Secretary spent approximately 2 hours and 30 minutes at the Vatican.
The State Department disclosed that Rubio discussed the Middle East situation during his visit.
State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott commented that this meeting demonstrated the strong relationship between the U.S. and the Vatican and our shared commitment to promoting peace and human dignity.
According to the State Department, Rubio also discussed efforts to achieve sustainable peace in the Middle East with Cardinal Parolin, and both sides reaffirmed their cooperation in promoting religious freedom.
A U.S. official described the dialogue with the Vatican as friendly and constructive.
Rubio, a devout Catholic, has reportedly been working to ease tensions with President Trump prior to this Vatican visit.
While the Trump administration initially welcomed the election of Pope Leo XIV as the first American pope, relations quickly deteriorated as the Pope’s criticism of Middle East conflicts and U.S. immigration policies intensified.
Since February, Pope Leo XIV has opposed the war with Iran, which began with a U.S.-Israeli preemptive strike, and has criticized the Trump administration’s immigration policies. In response, Trump attacked the Pope on social media, claiming he is soft on crime and has disastrous foreign policies.
In a Monday interview with conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt, Trump went so far as to assert that the Pope believes it’s acceptable for Iran to possess nuclear weapons, endangering many Catholics and others.
The Pope countered during a press conference, stating that the Catholic Church’s mission is to spread the Gospel and promote peace. He emphasized that the Church has consistently opposed all nuclear weapons for years, and there is no ambiguity on this stance.
Pope Leo XIV will mark his first year in the papacy on Friday. This meeting with a Trump administration official is his first since taking office.
