U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is scheduled to meet with Pope Leo at the Vatican this Thursday, marking a significant diplomatic encounter amid ongoing tensions between President Donald Trump and the Catholic Church leader regarding the Iran conflict.
Rubio, who doubles as Trump’s national security adviser, is expected to arrive at the Vatican’s Apostolic Palace at approximately 11:15 a.m. local time for what will be the first meeting between the pontiff and a Trump administration cabinet member in almost twelve months.
The private discussion is anticipated to run roughly thirty minutes, followed by a separate meeting between Rubio and Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican’s chief diplomat from Italy.
Pope Leo, who became the first American to hold the papacy, has faced Trump’s criticism after voicing strong opposition to the U.S.-Israeli military action against Iran and condemning the administration’s strict immigration stance.
In recent weeks, Trump has launched an extraordinary series of public criticisms against the pope, prompting condemnation from Christian leaders spanning the political divide.
This past Monday, Trump made false claims suggesting the pope supported Iran’s nuclear weapons development and accused Leo of “endangering a lot of Catholics” through his war opposition.
Following Trump’s latest verbal assault, Leo spoke to reporters about his commitment to promoting Christian values of peace. The pope categorically denied any support for nuclear weapons, emphasizing the Catholic Church’s teaching that such weapons are morally wrong.
“The mission of the Church is to preach the Gospel, to preach peace,” the pope stated. “The Church has spoken out for years against all nuclear arms, on that there is no doubt.”
Pope Leo, who will commemorate his first anniversary leading the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics this Friday, has become increasingly vocal on international matters recently.
Last month during a diplomatic visit across four African nations, he strongly criticized current global leadership trends and declared the world was “being ravaged by a handful of tyrants,” though he later clarified these remarks weren’t specifically targeting Trump.
Both Rubio and Vice President JD Vance practice the Catholic faith and previously met with Pope Leo one year ago following his inaugural papal ceremony.
During Tuesday’s White House press briefing, Rubio indicated he planned to address Cuba-related issues and worldwide religious freedom concerns during his Vatican visit.
Unusually for a secretary of state’s international travel, Rubio is making the Rome trip without any accompanying press corps.
Brian Burch, the U.S. ambassador to the Holy See, informed reporters Tuesday that the papal meeting with the cabinet official would likely involve “frank” dialogue.
Rubio’s two-day Roman itinerary includes a Friday meeting with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who has publicly defended the pope against Trump’s criticisms. Meloni’s defense minister has also warned that the Iranian conflict jeopardizes American global leadership.
