US Secretary of State Marco Rubio met Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican on Thursday, in a bid to repair relations that have soured since President Donald Trump launched an extraordinary personal attack on the first American pontiff. The private audience, which lasted approximately 45 minutes, was described by a State Department official as “friendly and constructive.”
Rubio’s visit comes weeks after Trump accused the pope, who leads the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics, of being “weak on crime and terrible for foreign policy.” The president’s remarks followed the pontiff’s criticism of the US-led military campaign against Iran and his condemnation of Trump’s threat to “destroy Iranian civilisation” as “truly unacceptable.”
Diplomatic Bridge-Building
After the talks, State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott said the two leaders discussed the Middle East and shared interests in the Western Hemisphere — a term Washington uses to refer to Latin America. “The meeting underscored the strong relationship between the United States and the Holy See and their shared commitment to promoting peace and human dignity,” Pigott said.
A US official confirmed that the Catholic Church’s work in Cuba was also on the agenda. The Holy See has long played an active role in Cuban diplomacy, while Rubio, a Cuban-American, has led the Trump administration’s push for regime change on the island. Rubio also met with Vatican Secretary of State Pietro Parolin, with whom he discussed religious freedom and other topics.
The encounter was part of a broader effort to de-escalate tensions that have alarmed European diplomats and Catholic voters in the United States. US ambassador to the Holy See, Brian Burch, had told reporters earlier this week that the meeting would likely be a “frank conversation.” For its part, the Vatican adopted a cautious tone: Parolin said on Wednesday that “we’ll listen to him,” noting that Washington had initiated the meeting.
Trump’s Unprecedented Attack
The rift between Trump and the pope erupted after the pontiff called for peace in the Middle East war launched by Israel and the United States. In a rare direct rebuke, Trump accused the pope of endorsing Iran’s nuclear ambitions. “I think he’s endangering a lot of Catholics and a lot of people,” Trump said in an interview on Monday.
Asked about those comments on Tuesday, Pope Leo XIV responded that the Church’s mission was to “preach peace” and the Gospel. “If anyone wishes to criticise me for proclaiming the Gospel, let them do so truthfully,” he told reporters. “The Church has spoken out against all nuclear weapons for years, so there is no doubt about that, and I simply hope to be heard for the sake of the value of God’s word.”
Parolin, speaking at an event on Wednesday, said attacking the pope “seems a little strange to me. The pope is being the pope.”
Rubio, a devout Catholic, had sought to downplay the clash before his departure for Rome. “There’s a lot to talk about with the Vatican,” he said, adding that the trip had been planned before the controversy. On Thursday, a US source hailed the welcome extended to Rubio, saying it “exceeded expectations.”
The Trump administration had celebrated the election of Pope Leo XIV a year ago, hailing the first US pontiff in history. But relations have since deteriorated sharply, with the pope’s outspoken stance on Iran and the Middle East putting him at odds with the White House. The meeting in Rome may help restore some normalcy, but the underlying tensions remain unresolved.
For European observers, the episode underscores the volatility of US foreign policy under Trump and the challenges of maintaining transatlantic alliances. The Vatican, as a sovereign entity with diplomatic ties across the continent, plays a unique role in European diplomacy. The pope’s recent swearing-in of 28 new Swiss Guards was a reminder of the Holy See’s enduring institutional presence in Rome.
