by InTrieste
Marco Rubio is scheduled to visit Rome and the Vatican this week in a trip widely interpreted by Italian media and diplomatic observers as an effort to ease tensions between Washington and the Holy See, following a period of public friction involving Donald Trump and Pope Leo XIV.
A Vatican source confirmed that Mr. Rubio, a Catholic, is expected to meet Pope Leo on Thursday, though the Holy See has not formally announced the audience. Italian newspapers have described the visit as an attempt to “thaw” relations after recent exchanges that drew unusually sharp political and religious responses on both sides.
The trip comes several weeks after President Trump publicly criticized Pope Leo over comments the pontiff made in connection with US foreign policy and the prospect of military escalation with Iran. After Pope Leo described a potential US strike on Iran as “unacceptable” and urged Americans to press their representatives to support diplomatic solutions, Mr. Trump responded on social media by calling the pope “weak on crime, and terrible for foreign policy,” and said he was “not a big fan” of the pontiff. He also stated he did not “want a pope who thinks it’s OK for Iran to have a nuclear weapon.”
Pope Leo later reiterated that he had a “moral duty to speak out” against war. During a subsequent visit to Cameroon, he criticized what he called “tyrants” responsible for global instability, though Vatican officials later said those remarks had been prepared before the dispute with Mr. Trump and were not intended as a direct response.
The exchange prompted further political ripples in Europe. Giorgia Meloni, one of Mr. Trump’s closest allies in Europe, described the president’s remarks as “unacceptable,” prompting a sharp rebuke from Mr. Trump directed at her as well.
Against this backdrop, Mr. Rubio’s visit includes meetings with senior Italian officials. According to Italian media reports, he is expected to meet Antonio Tajani and Guido Crosetto during his two-day stay in Rome. A potential meeting with Ms. Meloni has not been confirmed, though Mr. Rubio has indicated he would like to see her.
The Vatican meeting, if it proceeds as planned, would be the first high-level encounter between Pope Leo and a senior official of the Trump administration since the recent exchange of criticism between the pope and the president.
Mr. Rubio previously met Pope Leo in May last year on the day of the pontiff’s inauguration, and again the following day when Pope Leo received US Vice President JD Vance.
Pope Leo, who was elected on May 8, 2025, following the death of Pope Francis, will mark one year as leader of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics this Friday.
The anniversary comes at a moment when the Vatican continues to emphasize diplomatic engagement and calls for de-escalation in global conflicts, while navigating renewed political tensions with one of its most influential international counterparts.
