VATICAN CITY (AP) — U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio visited the Vatican on Thursday in an effort to mend fences and emphasize strong bilateral ties. This visit followed U.S. President Donald Trump’s strong criticisms of Pope Leo XIV, who had expressed opposition to the Iran war, leading to anger from the Holy See and ongoing disagreements.
The U.S. State Department reported that discussions with Pope Leo and the Vatican’s top diplomat covered peace in the Middle East and highlighted the robust relationship and enduring partnership between the United States and the Holy See.
Rubio, a practicing Catholic, first had an audience with Pope Leo. This meeting was complicated at the last minute by Trump’s latest criticisms of the Chicago-born pontiff. Pope Leo has consistently pushed back against Trump’s remarks, clarifying his views on Iran and nuclear weapons and asserting that he is merely advocating for a biblical message of peace.
During his 2½-hour visit, Rubio also met with the Vatican’s Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin. On the eve of Rubio’s visit, Parolin had diplomatically but firmly defended Pope Leo and criticized Trump’s attacks.
“Attacking him like that or criticizing what he does seems a bit strange to me, to say the least,” Parolin stated on Wednesday.
Following these meetings, the U.S. State Department announced that Rubio and Parolin discussed “ongoing humanitarian efforts in the Western Hemisphere and efforts to achieve a durable peace in the Middle East.” The discussion, they noted, reflected the enduring partnership between the United States and the Holy See in promoting religious freedom.
In a separate statement regarding the audience with Pope Leo, U.S. State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott said the two leaders discussed the situation in the Middle East and “topics of mutual interest in the Western Hemisphere.” He added that the meeting underscored the strong relationship between the United States and the Holy See and their shared commitment to promoting peace and human dignity.
The Vatican did not immediately comment on the audiences.
Rubio is also scheduled to meet with Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani on Friday. These meetings may also prove challenging for Washington’s top diplomat, as both Italian officials have strongly defended Pope Leo against Trump’s criticisms and have condemned the Iran war as illegal, drawing the president’s displeasure.
Rubio insisted this week that his visit had been planned for some time, acknowledging that “obviously we had some stuff that happened.”
**A Mission to Smooth Ties**
Tensions escalated last month when Trump lashed out at Pope Leo on social media, accusing the pope of being lenient on crime and terrorism due to his comments on the administration’s immigration policies, deportations, and the Iran war. Pope Leo responded by saying that God does not heed the prayers of those who wage war.
Later, Trump posted a social media image appearing to liken himself to Jesus Christ, which was subsequently deleted after public backlash. He has refused to apologize to Pope Leo, attempting to explain the post by claiming he believed the image depicted him as a doctor.
Rubio suggested that Trump’s recent criticisms of Pope Leo stemmed from his opposition to Iran potentially acquiring a nuclear weapon, which he argued could be used against millions of Catholics and other Christians.
Pope Leo has never advocated for Iran to possess nuclear weapons, and the Catholic Church “for years has spoken out against all nuclear weapons, so there is no doubt there.”
“The mission of the church is to preach the Gospel, to preach peace. If someone wants to criticize me for announcing the Gospel, let him do it with the truth,” Pope Leo said late Tuesday, after Trump again accused him of being “OK” with Iran having a nuclear weapon.
By Thursday, tensions appeared to have eased.
During the traditional exchange of gifts at the Vatican, Rubio presented Pope Leo with a small crystal football paperweight. Acknowledging Pope Leo’s known allegiance to the Chicago White Sox, Rubio quipped, “you’re a baseball guy, but it has the seal of the State Department,” on it. “What to get someone who has everything?” he joked.
Pope Leo, in turn, gave Rubio a pen seemingly crafted from olive wood — “olive being of course the plant of peace,” Pope Leo explained — adorned with his coat of arms, and a picture book of Vatican artworks.
Rubio has frequently been tasked with moderating or clarifying Trump’s harsh rhetoric. Trump has also criticized Meloni and other NATO allies for insufficient support for the Iran war, recently announcing plans to withdraw thousands of American troops from Germany in the coming months.
**Vatican Seen as Willing to Have Dialogue**
Giampiero Gramaglia, former head of the ANSA news agency and its one-time Washington correspondent, expressed skepticism that much would come from Rubio’s visit concerning Italian or Vatican relations. He, along with other Italian commentators, believes Rubio was primarily seeking to smooth relations with the pope for his own political ambitions, as well as in anticipation of the upcoming midterm U.S. congressional elections and the 2028 presidential race.
“I doubt Rubio has the role of conciliator for Trump,” he told Italy’s Foreign Press Association. “I have the perception that Rubio’s mission is more about himself” and his political aspirations as a prominent Catholic Republican.
Father Antonio Spadaro, undersecretary in the Vatican’s culture office, stated that Rubio’s mission was not to “convert” the pope to Trump’s side. Instead, Washington “has come to acknowledge — implicitly but legibly — that (Pope Leo’s) voice carries weight in the world that cannot simply be dismissed.”
“The situation created by President Trump’s remarks required a high-level, direct intervention, conducted in the proper language of diplomacy: a semantic corrective to a narrative of frontal conflict with the church,” he wrote in an essay this week.
**Cuba Also on the Agenda**
Rubio confirmed that topics beyond the Iran war were on the agenda for his Vatican visit, including Cuba. The Holy See is particularly concerned about the Trump administration’s threats of potential military action there following its January ouster of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
Trump has frequently stated that Cuba could be “next” and has even suggested that once the Iran war concludes, naval assets deployed in the Middle East could return to the United States via Cuba.
Rubio, the son of Cuban immigrants, is a long-standing Cuba hawk.
“We gave Cuba $6 million of humanitarian aid, but obviously they won’t let us distribute it,” Rubio said. “We distributed it through the church. We’d like to do more.”
Matthew Lee, the AP’s diplomatic writer, reported from Washington.
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