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U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is set to meet Pope Leo at the Vatican on Thursday during a high-profile discussion expected to address growing tensions between the Trump administration and the Catholic Church over the Iran conflict and immigration policies.
The private meeting at the Apostolic Palace marks the first time in nearly a year that a senior Trump cabinet official has held formal talks with the pope. Rubio, who also serves as President Donald Trump’s national security adviser, is expected to meet separately with Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin following his conversation with Pope Leo.
Relations between Trump and the Vatican have become increasingly strained after Pope Leo publicly criticized the U.S.-Israeli military campaign against Iran and condemned harsh immigration measures supported by the administration. The pope, the first American to lead the Catholic Church, has repeatedly promoted peace and diplomacy while warning against escalating global conflicts.
Earlier this week, Trump accused Pope Leo of weakening support for Catholics and falsely claimed the pontiff supported Iran obtaining nuclear weapons. The pope strongly denied the allegation, reaffirming the Catholic Church’s long-standing opposition to nuclear arms.
“The mission of the Church is to preach peace,” Pope Leo told reporters, emphasizing that the Vatican has consistently rejected nuclear weapons as immoral.
The Vatican meeting comes as Pope Leo becomes more vocal on international issues. During a recent African tour, he criticized global leaders and warned that the world was being harmed by authoritarian leadership, comments widely interpreted as indirect criticism of several world powers.
Rubio said discussions would likely include religious freedom and Cuba. U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See Brian Burch described the upcoming conversation as expected to be “frank.” Rubio will also meet Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni during his visit to Rome.
