Vatican: The US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, is set to meet Pope Leo XIV at the Apostolic Palace as the United States seeks to calm growing tensions with the Vatican following repeated attacks on the pontiff by US President Donald Trump.
The high-level meeting comes with one of the most strained periods in relations between Washington and the Holy See in recent history. Rubio is expected to hold talks with Pope Leo before meeting senior members of the Italian government later in the day.
Trump reignited controversy earlier this week after accusing the pope of supporting nuclear weapons and ‘endangering a lot of Catholics’ over his opposition to the war with Iran. The criticism marked the latest in a series of public attacks directed at the first North American pope.
Pope Leo defended the Church’s long-standing stance against nuclear weapons. The pope stated that, “If anyone wants to criticise me for proclaiming the gospel, let them do so with the truth. The Church has spoken out against all nuclear weapons for years; there is no doubt about that. I simply hope to be listened to because of the value of God’s word.”
Rubio attempted to downplay the dispute, telling reporters at the White House that Trump’s comments were rooted in concerns about Iran acquiring nuclear weapons that could threaten millions of Catholics globally. Rubio remarked that, “President Trump doesn’t understand why anyone, leave aside the pope would think that it’s a good idea for Iran to ever have a nuclear weapon.”
Relations between the Vatican and Washington have steadily deteriorated in recent months. In April, Trump criticised Pope Leo over his condemnation of the Iran conflict, calling him ‘weak on crime’ and ‘terrible on foreign policy’. The US president also controversially claimed the pope had only been elected because Trump himself was in office.
Trump later faced backlash after briefly sharing an AI-generated image portraying himself in a Christ-like depiction before deleting the post. Analysts believe Rubio’s visit is aimed at repairing diplomatic ties and softening tensions created by Trump’s remarks. While the US secretary of state is expected to defend Washington’s military strategy toward Iran, observers say he is likely to avoid directly challenging the Vatican’s anti-war position.
Meanwhile, Cardinal Pietro Parolin offered a measured but pointed response when asked whether he trusted Rubio or Trump more. Rubio is also scheduled to meet Giorgia Meloni as tensions between Rome and Washington continue to grow.
Political historian Lorenzo Castellani said Trump’s repeated attacks on the pope have sparked widespread outrage in Italy, where the papacy holds major cultural and political significance. According to Castellani, the controversy has forced Meloni to distance herself from Trump despite previously praising him and expressing hope that he could one day receive the Nobel Peace Prize.
Italian media reports suggest Rubio’s discussions in Rome may focus not only on repairing relations but also on reaffirming Trump’s foreign policy stance after the US president criticised Meloni in April for refusing to support the American campaign against Iran.
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