United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican yesterday, amid ongoing tension between President Donald Trump and the Pope. Source: Catholic Review.
Mr Rubio, who is Catholic, spoke with the American Pope for over 45 minutes in a private meeting in the Apostolic Palace before also sitting down with Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican Secretary of State, and Archbishop Paul Gallagher, the Vatican’s foreign minister, for talks that reaffirmed “the shared commitment to fostering good bilateral relations between the Holy See and the United States of America,” according to the Vatican.
“There was then an exchange of views on the regional and international situation, with particular attention to countries affected by war, political tensions and difficult humanitarian situations, as well as the need to work tirelessly to promote peace,” the Holy See Press Office said in a statement released after the meeting.
Mr Rubio wrote on social media that he met the Pope “to underscore our shared commitment to promoting peace and human dignity”.
In a separate statement, the State Department said Mr Rubio’s meeting with Cardinal Parolin covered mutual cooperation and pressing international issues, including humanitarian efforts in the Western Hemisphere and efforts to achieve a durable peace in the Middle East.
Mr Rubio also welcomed the recent arrival of Archbishop Gabriele Caccia as the new apostolic nuncio to the United States.
It was Mr Rubio’s second substantive meeting with Pope Leo. On May 19, 2025, the day after the Pope’s inauguration Mass, Mr Rubio and Vice President JD Vance also held a bilateral meeting with the Pope, according to Vatican News.
Mr Rubio’s visit comes days after Mr Trump reignited tensions by repeating his claim that the Pope “thinks it’s just fine for Iran to have a nuclear weapon”, an assertion that Pope Leo swiftly rejected.
“If anyone wishes to criticise me for proclaiming the Gospel, let them do so with the truth,” Pope Leo told journalists outside Castel Gandolfo that evening.
“The Church has spoken out for years against all nuclear weapons, so there is no doubt about this,” the Pope added. “I simply hope to be heard for the sake of the Word of God.”
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US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Pope Leo XIV discuss Iran war at Vatican meeting (By Courtney Mares, OSV News via Catholic Review)
