Visit by Marco Rubio to the Vatican: Secretary of State seeks to appease American Pope

Leon XIV and the American Secretary of State had a “friendly and constructive” meeting of just over 45 minutes, according to an anonymous official from the State Department. Marco Rubio was received at the apostolic palace with all the honors usually reserved for heads of state and government, according to a source familiar with the current protocol, in a clear desire from the Vatican to promote peace.

Rubio, himself a devout Catholic, then met with the Secretary of State and number 2 of the Vatican, Cardinal Pietro Parolin. “They reviewed the ongoing humanitarian efforts in the Western Hemisphere and initiatives aimed at establishing lasting peace in the Middle East,” said the State Department. “Their discussions reflected the strong and enduring partnership between the United States and the Vatican in favor of religious freedom.”

The Vatican, for its part, stated that the talks also focused on “the need to tirelessly work for peace.” “The shared commitment to maintaining good bilateral relations between the Holy See and the United States of America was reaffirmed,” the Vatican’s statement said. A discussion then took place with a special focus on countries affected by war, political tensions, and difficult humanitarian situations, as well as the need to work tirelessly for peace.

Before his trip, Rubio sought to downplay recent attacks by the American president against the pope, amidst the Middle East war and immigration concerns. “We will listen to him,” said Monsignor Parolin on Wednesday to journalists, emphasizing that the meeting was initiated by Washington. “But attacking the pope is a bit strange. The pope is playing his role,” affirmed Pietro Parolin.

Far from the enthusiasm of the early days, when the Trump administration celebrated the election a year ago of the first American pope in history, relations with the Vatican have seriously deteriorated. In mid-April, the American president surprised by criticizing Pope Leon XIV as “weak” in addressing crime and “useless” in foreign policy, sparking outrage among Catholics and several heads of state. The pope responded by stating he was not afraid of the Trump administration and had a “moral duty to speak out” against war.

Leon XIV believes “it would not be a problem if Iran had nuclear weapons,” reiterated the Republican leader in an interview with a conservative podcaster, accusing the pope of “putting many Catholics and many people at risk.” The pope responded, saying, “If anyone wants to criticize me for preaching the Gospel, let them do so honestly. The Church has been opposed to all nuclear weapons for years, there is no doubt about that.”

Besides his positions on immigration, it is his increasingly pacifist discourse, particularly after the beginning of American-Israeli attacks on Iran, that has angered Donald Trump. Leon XIV described the threat of Trump to destroy Iran as “unacceptable.”

The other hot topic, Cuba, was also discussed during the talks on Thursday, according to a State Department official. “Our work with the Catholic Church and Caritas in Cuba was discussed,” he said anonymously. The United States provides humanitarian aid to Cuba through a strict channel that goes through the local Catholic Church.