US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is set to meet Pope Leo on Thursday, marking a diplomatic effort to repair strained relations between Washington and the Vatican following former President Donald Trump's harsh criticism of the pontiff. The two-day visit, confirmed by the Holy See's press office on Monday, includes a private audience with the pope at the Vatican's apostolic palace at 11:30 AM local time (10:30 GMT).
Rubio will also hold talks with Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin and Italian Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Antonio Tajani. The meetings are reportedly aimed at thawing what has been described as frosty relations between the United States and both Rome and the Holy See. According to a foreign ministry source, Rubio also requested a meeting with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, though the request had not yet been granted as of Sunday. Speaking at a European Political Community gathering in Yerevan, Meloni indicated she would likely meet with Rubio.
The visit coincides with the first anniversary of Pope Leo's papacy and comes just weeks after Trump launched an unprecedented broadside against the pope. Trump criticized Leo for condemning the US-Israeli war on Iran, calling him weak and questioning his effectiveness as pontiff. Trump later shared an AI-generated image depicting himself as Christ but deleted it, claiming it was actually a portrayal of him as a doctor. Vice President JD Vance also criticized the pope, urging the Vatican to focus on moral matters and cautioning Leo against commenting on theology and war.
Trump also rebuked Meloni, previously one of his closest European allies, after she criticized his remarks about Leo. He accused her government of not supporting strikes on Iran and threatened to withdraw US troops from Italy. Rubio and Vance attended the pope's inauguration in May last year and had a private audience with him the following day, during which they extended an invitation from Trump to the White House—an invitation Leo has not yet accepted. In response to Trump's April outburst, Leo stated he did not fear the US administration and continued to speak out against the war on Iran.
Pope Leo will mark his first anniversary as pope with a trip on Friday to the southern Italian town of Pompeii, where he will celebrate Mass at the Shrine of Our Lady of the Rosary of Pompeii, and later in Naples.
