Pope Leo meets Rubio amid growing tensions with Trump over Iran
Rubio seeks to calm a rift with the first U.S. pope while raising humanitarian aid to Cuba and religious freedom concerns, officials said.
- On Thursday, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio met Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican for a roughly 30-minute closed-door audience requested by Washington to address diplomatic tensions following weeks of public criticism.
- President Donald Trump's public attacks on Leo XIV—calling him 'weak' and 'terrible on foreign policy'—sparked the diplomatic rift after the Pope criticized the U.S.-Israel war in Iran. Trump falsely claimed the Pope supported Iran's nuclear weapons.
- Rubio plans to discuss religious freedom worldwide and $6 million in humanitarian aid to Cuba. Ambassador Brian Burch told reporters the conversation would be 'frank,' aimed at working through differences.
- Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin stated on Wednesday the Pope remains open to dialogue, emphasizing that despite difficulties, the United States remains a key partner for the Holy See.
- Rubio will also meet Friday with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who has defended the Pope against Trump's attacks, as the visit aims to stabilize U.S.-Vatican influence amid broader transatlantic tensions over the Iran war.
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142 Articles
The U.S. Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, expressed his commitment to “promoting peace” this Thursday to Pope Leo XIV, after a meeting in the Vatican to also underline the “solid bilateral relationship” following Donald Trump’s criticism of the pontiff. The head of U.S. diplomacy summed up his Vatican quote on his social networks: “I met with @pontifex (the pope’s official profile) to underline our shared commitment to promoting peace and human …
The Latest: Rubio meets with Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican after Trump’s criticism over Iran
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio discussed “efforts to achieve a durable peace in the Middle East” in talks at the Vatican aimed at easing tensions following U.S. President Donald Trump’s criticisms of Pope Leo XIV. Rubio met with Leo…
US Secretary of State to meet with Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani
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