US Secretary of State Marco Rubio met this May 7 with Pope Leo XIV in the Vaticanwhere both expressed their “commitment to cultivating good relations,” after Donald Trump will criticize the pontiff for his stance against the war with Iran.
It is the second time that Rubio and the pontiff meet, since the first was in Chicago last year.
“Nice to see you again. It’s been almost a yearor,” Rubio responded, in reference to their last meeting, on May 19, 2025.
Rubio was accompanied by his wife, Jeanette Dousdebes, and the US ambassador to the Holy See, Brian Burch.
The Secretary of State’s agenda included a private meeting with the pontiff and, later, with the Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, as well as with the “minister” of Foreign Affairs, Monsignor Paul Richard Gallagher.
“I met with @pontifex (the pontiff’s official profile) to underscore our shared commitment to promote peace and human dignity“Rubio wrote in a post on the social network X.
“The meeting underscores the strong relationship between the United States and the Holy See and their common commitment to the promotion of peace and human dignity,” explained spokesperson Tommy Pigott.
The meetings between the American official and the Vatican authorities were described as “cordial,” and both parties noted “having renewed the common commitment to cultivate good bilateral relations.”.
The meeting would also have addressed “the need to work tirelessly for peace.”
The meeting took place after a tense atmosphere between Donald Trump and Pope Leo XIV, due to the Pope expressed his rejection of war against Iran.
The Republican president He went so far as to describe the Pope as “weak” and as a “lousy person in foreign policy.”
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