Marco Rubio to Visit Vatican This Week for Meeting with Pope Leo XIV

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio will travel to the Vatican this week to be received by Pope Leo XIV. The meeting is widely viewed as an attempt to calm tensions between Washington and the Holy See following recent clashes with President Donald Trump.

The meeting is scheduled for Thursday, according to local media reports. Observers note that Leo XIV is the first Pope born in the United States and that prior to his election one year ago, he was a vocal critic of Trump’s immigration policies.

The relationship further strained on April 7, when the Pope described as "unacceptable" a threat made by Trump to eliminate "an entire civilization" in reference to Iran. In response, the President labeled the Pontiff "weak" and "terrible at foreign policy."

Leo XIV subsequently warned that he did not fear the President and would continue to advocate for global harmony.

"No, I am not afraid of the Trump administration, nor of proclaiming the Gospel message aloud, which is what I believe I must be here for, and why the Church is here," the Pope stated during his recent Apostolic Journey to Africa. "We are not politicians; we do not view foreign policy from the same perspective, but rather as builders of peace."

Robert Prevost assumed the papacy as the ninth sovereign of Vatican City on May 8, 2025.