Thursday, May 21Thursday, May 21Marco Rubio, the U.S. Secretary of State, met with Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican on Thursday, May 7, 2026, in an effort to repair strained relations between the U.S. and the Holy See following repeated criticisms from President Donald Trump. The tensions arose after Trump publicly accused the pope of being "weak on crime" and "terrible for foreign policy," particularly in response to Leo XIV’s critical stance on the Iran war. Trump’s attacks, which included social media broadsides, marked an unprecedented escalation in U.S.-Vatican relations .
During the meeting, which lasted approximately 2.5 hours, Rubio engaged in discussions with Pope Leo XIV and senior Vatican officials, including Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican’s top diplomat. The Vatican emphasized the need for peace and reiterated its commitment to working tirelessly toward that goal during the talks. Rubio’s visit was widely viewed as a diplomatic effort to smooth over the fallout from Trump’s remarks and reset the U.S.-Vatican relationship .
Prior to the meeting, Rubio acknowledged the significance of the discussions, stating that there was "a lot to talk about" with the Vatican. The U.S. State Department underscored the importance of maintaining a strong relationship with the Holy See, despite the recent tensions . The Vatican did not release detailed comments on the substance of the discussions, but the meeting was described as part of a broader effort to defuse tensions .
> Background: [**Trump and Pope Clash Over U.S.-Iran Conflict in War of Words
12 words neutral and captures the core dispute while focusing on the English-language context.**](livefromeurope.eu) — *2 days ago*
Rubio resets US-Vatican relationship in meeting with Pope Leo XIV The secretary of State managed to smooth things over with the Catholic leader following weeks of attacks from President Trump.
politico.eu · 13 days ago
Vatican stresses need for peace as Rubio meets pope amid strained relations US secretary of state speaks with Leo and officials after tensions following attacks by Trump over Iran warThe Vatican has said it raised the need to work tirelessly in favour of peace in talks with the US secretary of state, Marco Rubio, who is in Rome on a trip widely regarded as an effort to ease tensions after Donald Trumps repeated criticisms of Pope Leo.Amid unprecedented strain on relations between the Holy See and Washington, Rubio was received by the pope on Thursday at the Apostolic Palace, before holding a series of meetings with Vatican officials Continue reading...
theguardian · 13 days ago
US underlines strong relationship with Vatican as Rubio meets pope after Trump criticism Rubios visit comes after US President Trump accused the pope of being weak on crime and terrible for foreign policy after he made critical comments about the Iran war.
euronews · 13 days ago
Marco Rubio meets with Pope Leo at the Vatican amid Trumps massive feud with pontiff The tensions between Trump and Pope Leo XIV began last month when the president lashed out on social media accusing the Pope of being soft on crime and terrorism
independent · 13 days ago
🇺🇸🤝🇻🇦- US Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican. The 2.5 hour visit is a mission aimed at easing sharp tensions between the US and the Holy See.
telegram bot · 14 days ago
Rubio meets Pope Leo at Vatican to defuse tensions with Trump US Secretary of State Marco Rubio left the Vatican on Thursday after seeing Pope Leo in what was expected to have been a fraught meeting following President Donald Trumps repeated attacks on the Catholic leader over the Iran war. Rubio spent 2-1/2 hours at the Vatican before driving away in a convoy under tight security. He met initially Leo before sitting down with senior Vatican officials, including top diplomat Italian Cardinal Pietro Parolin. The Vatican and the US State Department did not...
south china morning post · 14 days ago
Rubio meets Pope Leo in bid to ease tensions after Trumps criticism of the pontiff - Europe live Relations between the Vatican and Washington are increasingly fraught after the US president lashed out at the pope over his criticism of the war in IranMeanwhile, Hungarys incoming prime minister Péter Magyar has arrived for talks at Palazzo Chigi in Rome, where he is due to meet with Italys prime minister Giorgia Meloni.Since he is not the Hungarian PM yet – he will take his role this weekend – he was officially welcomed outside the Palazzo by a senior adviser to the Italian PM instead. Continue reading...
theguardian · 14 days ago
Pope Leo XIV swears in 28 new Swiss Guards in Vatican ceremony Twenty-eight new recruits were formally sworn into the Swiss Guards at Vatican City on Wednesday during a ceremony presided over by Pope Leo XIV.
euronews · 14 days ago
Marco Rubio meets with Pope Leo amid tensions between the pontiff and Trump Before his departure for Rome, Rubio remarked that theres a lot to talk about with the Vatican.
thejournal · 14 days ago
Rubio set to meet Pope Leo in bid to ease tensions after Trumps criticism of the pontiff - Europe live Relations between the Vatican and Washington are increasingly fraught after the US president lashed out at the pope over his criticism of the war in Iranin PalermoMeanwhile, the US secretary of state, Marco Rubio, is to meet Pope Leo at the Vatican on Thursday in an effort to ease tensions after Donald Trumps repeated criticisms of the first North American pontiff.If anyone wants to criticise me for proclaiming the gospel, let them do so with the truth: the church has spoken out against all nuclear weapons for years, there is no doubt about that. I simply hope to be listened to because of the value of Gods word. Continue reading...
theguardian · 14 days ago
US Rubio seeks to ease tensions with US pope after Trumps attacks US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is heading to the Vatican and Italy on a fence-mending visit after President Donald Trumps broadsides against Pope Leo XIV and the U.S.-Israeli war in Iran have alienated those allies. FRANCE 24s International Affairs Editor Rochelle Ferguson-Bouyahi tells us more.
france24 · 14 days ago
Rubio faces challenge in Pope Leo meeting after Trumps criticism over Iran Americas top diplomat, Marco Rubio, will meet the first US pope, Leo XIV, on Thursday, seeking to ease Washington-Vatican tensions while also promoting President Donald Trumps agenda. The US secretary of state arrived in Rome after Trumps extraordinary criticism of Leo, the head of the worlds 1.4 billion Catholics, over his anti-war stance. FRANCE 24s Hannah Roberts reports from Rome, Italy.
france24 · 14 days ago