US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is scheduled to visit Rome and the Vatican this week, including a private meeting with Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican’s apostolic palace on Thursday. The Holy See’s press office confirms the meeting time, with multiple outlets citing 11:30am local time (10:30 GMT). The trip follows a period of strained relations between Washington and the Vatican after President Donald Trump publicly criticized Pope Leo, including criticism linked to the pope’s stance on the war in Iran. Several reports describe the visit as aimed at easing tensions and repairing ties with both the Vatican and Italy. U.S. officials say Rubio’s discussions with the pope will also cover Middle East developments. Media and observers characterize the engagement as an effort to restart dialogue after an unusual public dispute between the Trump administration and the pope. Some outlets also report Rubio’s broader agenda includes meetings in Italy with Italian political leaders and ministers, including Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. The Reuters report included expectations of a “frank” discussion between Rubio and the pope, framed as a way to manage disagreements through dialogue. The Vatican meeting is described as the first between the pope and a Trump cabinet official in nearly a year.
Marco Rubio to meet Pope Leo in Rome as US-Vatican tensions linger
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is scheduled to visit Rome and the Vatican this week, including a private meeting with Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican’s apostolic palace on Thursday. The Holy See’s pres...
- Marco Rubio visits Rome and the Vatican this week, with a meeting planned with Pope Leo XIV on Thursday at the Vatican’s apostolic palace.
- The meeting follows public criticism by President Donald Trump of Pope Leo, including comments tied to the pope’s views on the Iran war.
- The U.S. says Rubio will discuss the Middle East during the Vatican visit.
- Multiple outlets describe the trip as intended to ease or repair relations between the United States, the Vatican, and Italy.
- Some reports say Rubio also plans meetings with Italian leaders and ministers, including Giorgia Meloni.
VATICAN City, Holy See – The US State Department underlined its “strong relationship” with the Vatican on Thursday after talks between top diplomat Marco Rubio and Pope Leo XIV, following Donald Trump’s astonishing attack on the first US pontiff. “The conversations today were friendly and constructive,” a State Department official told AFP following the US secretary of state’s private audience at the Vatican. READ: Trump lambasts Pope Leo, extending feud over Iran war Rubio’s visit came after US President Trump accused Leo, the head of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics, of being “weak on crime and terrible for foreign policy” after […]...Keep on reading: US underlines 'strong' Vatican ties after Rubio meets pope
16 hours agoSecretary of State Rubio on Thursday tried to smooth over another conflict sparked by the Iran war, this one with the pope. A meeting between Rubio and Pope Leo came after Trump repeatedly accused the pontiff of wanting Iran to have a nuclear weapon. Stephanie Sy reports on the meeting, and Amna Nawaz speaks with Miguel Diaz, former U.S. ambassador to the Holy See, for more analysis.
16 hours agoSecretary of State Marco Rubio visited the Vatican on Thursday to meet with Pope Leo after President Trump's continued criticism of the pontiff. Sophia Cai, White House reporter for Politico, and Nicholas Wu, congressional reporter for Semafor, join to examine Rubio's increased presence in the Trump administration.
17 hours agoU.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio met Pope Leo at the Vatican on Thursday morning, in a visit that was officially about diplomacy but in reality was about cleaning up after President Donald Trump’s latest swipes at the first American pope.
21 hours agoSecretary of State Marco Rubio traveled to Rome in an effort to preserve a crucial relationship between Washington and the Holy See.
23 hours agoAccording to the US State Department, Rubio and the pontiff discussed “topics of mutual interest in the Western Hemisphere” as well as the situation in the Middle East.
23 hours ago
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