US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is set to meet Pope Leo at the Vatican on Thursday, marking a significant diplomatic engagement amid growing tensions between the pontiff and President Donald Trump. The private meeting will take place at the Apostolic Palace and represents the first formal dialogue between a senior Trump administration official and the pope in nearly a year.
Following the discussion with Pope Leo, Rubio is also scheduled to meet Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican’s Secretary of State and top diplomat. This meeting comes at a time when relations between Trump and the pope—who is notably the first American pope—have become increasingly strained.
The pope has openly criticized the US-Israeli military actions against Iran and has voiced opposition to the Trump administration’s immigration policies. These criticisms have triggered repeated public rebukes from President Trump. Earlier this week, Trump accused the pope of undermining Catholics and falsely asserted that Pope Leo supported Iran’s pursuit of nuclear weapons. In response, the pope reaffirmed the Catholic Church’s long-standing opposition to nuclear arms and emphasized his mission to promote peace and spread Christian teachings.
Notably, Pope Leo has taken a more outspoken stance on global political matters during his first year as the leader of the Catholic Church. During a recent visit to Africa, he condemned what he described as destructive global leadership and warned against authoritarian trends harming the world. Although these remarks were later clarified as not being directly targeted at President Trump, they contributed to the ongoing tensions.
Rubio, who is a practicing Catholic, indicated that his discussions at the Vatican would cover topics such as Cuba and religious freedom. US Ambassador to the Holy See Brian Burch characterized the upcoming talks as likely to be candid and straightforward.
The Vatican visit is part of Rubio’s broader two-day trip to Italy, where he is also expected to meet with Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. Meloni has publicly defended Pope Leo amid the escalating political disputes. This meeting underscores the complex diplomatic dynamics at play between the US administration and the Vatican.
