Pope Leo meets Rubio amid growing tensions with Trump over Iran
Rubio and Vatican officials discussed peace, religious freedom and humanitarian aid as the Holy See and Washington sought to calm tensions.
- On Thursday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio met Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican to discuss humanitarian aid in Cuba and religious freedom concerns globally, marking the first Trump administration engagement with the pontiff in nearly a year.
- Relations between the Trump administration and the Holy See deteriorated after President Donald Trump criticized Leo's opposition to the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran, falsely claiming the pontiff accepted nuclear weapons.
- During the 2.5-hour meeting, Rubio and Leo exchanged gifts; Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin defended the pontiff, calling Trump's attacks 'strange' in understated diplomatic terms.
- The U.S. State Department and the Vatican reaffirmed their shared commitment to fostering bilateral relations and promoting peace, signaling a diplomatic reset after weeks of escalating public tensions.
- Political analysts suggest the visit aims to blunt domestic fallout ahead of midterm elections, though observers remain skeptical the meeting will fundamentally shift the Trump administration's approach toward the Holy See.
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After Trump's new attacks on Pope Leo XIV, Marco Rubio travelled to Rome for talks. Behind the scenes, the crack is named unusually clear. An analysis.
Rubio and the Pope – The American Spectator | USA News and Politics
There, headlining everywhere in the media, is the story. Here’s a sample headline, this one from NPR: “Rubio visits Vatican amid escalating tensions between Trump and Pope Leo.” The story opens this way: MILAN, Italy (RNS) — Amid a growing public rift between Pope Leo XIV and President Donald Trump — arguably the two most influential American-born figures in the world — Secretary of State Marco Rubio visited the Vatican on Thursday seeking to hi…
Rubio attempts to mend relations with Pope Leo in Vatican meeting after Trump’s criticisms
Secretary of State Rubio on Thursday tried to smooth over another conflict sparked by the Iran war, this one with the pope. A meeting between Rubio and Pope Leo came after Trump repeatedly accused the pontiff of wanting Iran to have a nuclear weapon. Stephanie Sy reports on the meeting, and Amna Nawaz speaks with Miguel Diaz, former U.S. ambassador to the Holy See, for more analysis.
Rubio meets Pope as US underlines Vatican ties
The US State Department underlined its "strong relationship" with the Vatican on Thursday after talks between top diplomat Marco Rubio and Pope Leo XIV, following Donald Trump's astonishing attack on the first US pontiff. "The conversations today were friendly and constructive," a State Department official told AFP following the US secretary of state's private audience at the Vatican. Rubio's visit came after US President Trump accused Leo, the …
Rubio and Pope Leo discuss areas of disagreement after weeks of tensions with Trump
Marco Rubio dismissed the notion he was attempting to reset diplomatic relations with the Vatican after Donald Trump’s extraordinary criticisms of the first U.S. pope in the Catholic Church’s 2,000-year history.
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