Secretary Rubio meets Pope Leo XIV at Vatican amid U.S.-Iran conflict tensions

Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrived at the Vatican on Thursday for a visit that both sides publicly framed as a reaffirmation of the U.S.-Holy See relationship. Over the course of roughly two and a half hours, Rubio met first with Pope Leo XIV and then with Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican's top diplomat. State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said the meetings covered "the situation in the Middle East and topics of mutual interest in the Western Hemisphere" and "underscored the strong relationship between the United States and the Holy See and their shared commitment to promoting peace and human dignity."

The Vatican's statement said the two sides exchanged views on "countries marked by war, political tensions, and difficult humanitarian situations" and reaffirmed "the need to work tirelessly in favor of peace." Parolin had struck a pointed note on the eve of the visit, telling reporters that Trump's public criticisms of the pope were "a bit strange, to say the least." Leo, for his part, said Tuesday that anyone who wished to criticize him for "proclaiming the Gospel" should "do so with the truth," and noted that the Catholic Church "for years has spoken out against all nuclear weapons."

The backdrop to the visit was a period of public exchanges between Trump and the pope. Trump had written on social media that Iran "cannot have a nuclear weapon" and characterized the pope as being "OK" with Iran obtaining one. Leo had called threats against the Iranian people "truly unacceptable" and said that God does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war. Rubio, speaking at the White House earlier in the week, said Trump's criticisms of Leo were rooted in opposition to Iran obtaining a nuclear weapon, which he said could be used against millions of Catholics and other Christians.