Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican as tensions continue between the pontiff and President Donald Trump over Iran, immigration, and global leadership.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
Marco Rubio met Wednesday with Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican during a high-profile visit that comes amid ongoing public disagreements between the pope and President Donald Trump.
Rubio, who also serves as Trump’s national security adviser and is himself Catholic, arrived at the Apostolic Palace shortly after 11 a.m. local time for what marked the first meeting between the pope and a Trump Cabinet official in nearly a year.
The secretary of state remained at the Vatican for approximately two hours, where he held private discussions with Pope Leo before separately meeting senior Holy See officials, including Cardinal Pietro Parolin.
Neither the Vatican nor the U.S. State Department immediately released detailed summaries of the discussions.
Parolin commented publicly on the relationship between the Vatican and Washington one day before the meeting, describing Trump’s recent criticism of the pope as “a bit strange” while emphasizing that the Holy See continues to view the United States as an essential diplomatic partner.
“How can one do without the United States? One cannot do without the United States,” Parolin said, according to Vatican News.
“Despite some difficulties occurring, they certainly remain an interlocutor for the Holy See. Also, because they have a role in almost all the situations we are experiencing today,” he added.
The meeting follows weeks of increasingly public disagreements between Trump and Pope Leo involving Iran, nuclear weapons, immigration policy, and broader geopolitical issues.
Trump most recently criticized the pope during a May 4 radio interview after remarks interpreted as supportive of allowing Iran to maintain nuclear capabilities.
“The Pope would rather talk about the fact that it’s OK for Iran to have a nuclear weapon,” Trump said during an interview with radio host Hugh Hewitt.
“I think he’s endangering a lot of Catholics and a lot of people,” Trump added. “But I guess if it’s up to the Pope, he thinks it’s just fine for Iran to have a nuclear weapon.”
Pope Leo later rejected the accusation, stating the Catholic Church has consistently opposed nuclear weapons.
“The mission of the Church is to preach the Gospel, to preach peace,” the pope said, according to Vatican News. “The Church has spoken out for years against all nuclear arms, so there is no doubt on that point.”
Leo, the first American pope in the history of the Catholic Church, has also drawn attention for broader comments criticizing modern global leadership and the use of religion in political and military conflicts.
During an April 16 address in Bamenda, the pope said the world was “being ravaged by a handful of tyrants” and warned against manipulating religion for political or military purposes.
“Blessed are the peacemakers,” Leo said. “But woe to those who manipulate religion and the very name of God for their own military, economic, or political gain.”
The remarks fueled speculation they were directed at Trump and ongoing U.S. military actions involving Iran and the Middle East.
Pope Leo later clarified that the speech had been prepared weeks earlier and was not intended as a direct criticism of Trump.
“As it happens, it was looked at as if I was trying to debate [against] the president, which is not in my interest at all,” the pope said April 18.
Rubio said before departing for Rome that he expected to discuss religious freedom issues and conditions in Cuba during the Vatican visit.
The secretary of state is also scheduled to meet with Giorgia Meloni as part of his two-day diplomatic trip to Italy.
Several high-ranking members of the Trump administration identify as Catholic, including JD Vance and Robert F. Kennedy Jr..
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