US diplomat meets Pope Leo XIV in bid to ease tensions

US Diplomat Meets Pope Leo XIV in Bid to Ease Tensions

Top US diplomat Marco Rubio visited the Vatican on Thursday for talks with Pope Leo XIV, the first American pontiff, amid rising tensions between the White House and the Holy See.

Rubio’s visit follows former President Trump’s sharp criticism of Pope Leo over his outspoken anti-war stance. Reporters witnessed Rubio’s motorcade driving up Via della Conciliazione — the grand avenue leading to St. Peter’s Basilica — before entering the Vatican.

A devout Catholic, Rubio aimed to downplay the discord ahead of his private audience with the pope, which was followed by discussions with Vatican Secretary of State Pietro Parolin.

US Ambassador to the Holy See Brian Burch described the meeting as likely to be a “frank conversation.” Speaking to reporters, Parolin said, “We’ll listen to him,” noting that Washington had requested the meeting.

The Trump administration initially welcomed Leo’s election on May 8, 2025, marking the first time an American was elected pope. However, relations between the US and the Vatican have since deteriorated sharply.

Last month, Trump took to social media in an unprecedented move to label the pope “WEAK on crime, and terrible for foreign policy” after Leo called for peace in the Middle East conflict involving Israel and the US. The pope condemned Trump’s threat to destroy Iranian civilization as “truly unacceptable.”

Before departing, Rubio told reporters the trip had been planned before these tensions arose. “There’s a lot to talk about with the Vatican,” he said at the White House, highlighting religious freedom as a key area of agreement.

At a Vatican event on Wednesday, Parolin acknowledged the recent controversies, saying, “I imagine we’ll talk about everything that’s happened in recent days — we can’t avoid touching on these topics.” He added that they would also discuss broader international issues, including Latin America, Cuba, and Lebanon.

The Holy See has historically played an active role in Cuban diplomacy, while Rubio, a Cuban-American, has led the US effort to pressure the communist government. Pope Leo himself has close ties to Latin America, having spent two decades as a missionary in Peru and even acquiring Peruvian citizenship.

Despite efforts at diplomacy, Trump again criticized the pope in a recent interview, accusing Leo of believing it is “OK for Iran to have a nuclear weapon.” Trump claimed the pontiff was “endangering a lot of Catholics and a lot of people.”

Responding to the comments on Tuesday, Pope Leo reaffirmed the Church’s mission to “preach peace” and the Gospel. “If anyone wishes to criticize me for proclaiming the Gospel, let them do so truthfully,” he said. “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 described attacks on the pope as “a little strange,” adding, “The pope is being the pope.”

As the first US pope, Leo’s words carry significant weight in Washington, and he has not shied away from critiquing the Trump administration, notably on immigration policies. However, it was the pope’s increasing anti-war rhetoric that most drew Trump’s ire.

Pope Leo and Rubio first met last year at the Vatican alongside US Vice President JD Vance, a Catholic convert, just days after Leo’s election.