US Secretary of State Marco Rubio met Pope Leo at the Apostolic Palace on Thursday, in a visit widely seen as an attempt to ease tensions after President Donald Trump's repeated criticisms of the pontiff. The meeting, which lasted 45 minutes, included discussions on global conflicts and the need for peace, according to a Vatican statement.
Rubio presented the pope with a small crystal American football, joking that Leo, a Chicago native and White Sox fan, was more of a "baseball guy." The pope addressed Rubio formally as "Mr Secretary," to which Rubio replied, "Great to see you."
Following the papal audience, Rubio met with Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin, who had earlier defended Pope Leo against Trump's attacks, calling them "rather strange." The Vatican statement said the two sides exchanged views on current events, focusing on countries affected by war and political tensions, and stressed the need to work tirelessly for peace.
A US official described the conversations as "friendly and constructive." A State Department spokesperson said the meeting underscored the strong relationship between the US and the Holy See, and their shared commitment to promoting peace and human dignity.
The visit comes after Trump launched a fresh verbal attack on the pope on Tuesday, accusing him of supporting nuclear weapons. Pope Leo responded on Wednesday, saying the church has spoken out against all nuclear weapons for years and that he hopes to be listened to because of the value of God's word. Relations between the Vatican and Washington have been strained since Trump criticized the pope over the Iran war in April.
Rubio is also scheduled to meet Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on Friday, as relations between Rome and Washington have deteriorated following Trump's criticism of Meloni for not joining the US campaign against Iran.
