Amid tension between Washington and the Vatican, Secretary of State Marco Rubio met privately with Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican to discuss religious freedom, humanitarian crises and political tensions.
Rubio arrived at the Vatican on Thursday morning alongside his wife, Jeanette Dousdebes Rubio. The couple was greeted by Pope Leo before meeting privately in the pope’s library at the Apostolic Palace overlooking St. Peter’s Basilica.
They discussed “the situation in the Middle East and topics of mutual interest in the Western Hemisphere,” according to a statement from Tommy Pigott, the spokesperson for the State Department.
“The discussion reflected the enduring partnership between the United States and the Holy See in advancing religious freedom,” Pigott added.
Days ahead of the meeting, Rubio, a practicing Catholic, told reporters at the White House that he expected to speak with the pontiff about religious liberty around the world.
“There’s a lot to talk about with the Vatican,” Rubio said, per Reuters. “The pope is obviously the vicar of Christ, is a Roman Catholic, but he’s also the head of a nation state.”
“We work with the Catholic Church on the distribution of humanitarian aid in Cuba. We share with the Catholic Church a concern about the destruction of religious liberty, the persecution of Christian minorities, and also, you know, the challenges that are being faced by Christians in Africa,” he added.
Tensions between the pontiff and President Donald Trump have mounted in the months leading up to Rubio’s trip to the Vatican, escalating further in recent weeks.
Trump has voiced strong criticism toward Pope Leo, calling the pontiff “weak on crime, and terrible for foreign policy.”
Pope Leo, the first pope from the United States, has emerged as a voice in contrast to the president, encouraging U.S. bishops to speak out against the Trump administration’s immigration policies and to support immigrants, while also condemning the war in Iran.
In a Monday radio interview with Hugh Hewitt, Trump accused the pope of “endangering a lot of Catholics,” adding, “But I guess if it’s up to the pope, he thinks it’s just fine for Iran to have a nuclear weapon.”
Responding later to reporters who asked about the president’s recent remarks, Pope Leo said, “If someone wants to criticize me for proclaiming the Gospel, let him do so truthfully. The church for years has spoken against all nuclear weapons, so there’s no doubt there. And so I hope simply to be listened to for the value of the words of God,” per The New York Times.
Rubio said in a Tuesday press briefing his trip to the Vatican was pre-planned, before Trump’s rift with the pope.
“The trip is really not tied to anything other than the fact that it would be normal for us to engage with them,” Rubio said. “And other secretaries of states have done that.”
Following the meeting between Rubio and Pope Leo, the Vatican said the two exchanged “cordial talks” and that both sides renewed “the shared commitment to fostering sound bilateral relations between the Holy See and the United States of America.”
Their meeting also included discussions “regarding situations on the regional and international levels, with particular attention given to countries experiencing war, political tensions and difficult humanitarian situations as well as the need to work tirelessly for peace,” according to the Vatican.
Rubio will stay in Rome through Friday, where he is scheduled to meet with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani of Italy.