The pontiff met with the secretary of state amid Trumpʼs ongoing criticism of the Holy Father and the Vatican.
On Thursday Pope Leo XIV met with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the Vatican, with the meeting coming amid tensions between the Holy See and U.S. President Donald Trump.
Trump has expressed his disapproval of Leoʼs public statements denouncing the U.S.-led war on Iran. The Holy Father has repeatedly called for peace amid the ongoing conflict.
According to a statement released by the U.S. Department of State, the pontiff and Rubio discussed “the situation in the Middle East and topics of mutual interest in the Western Hemisphere.”
Pope Leo XIV speaks with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the Vatican, Thursday, May 7, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media
It also stated that their meeting “underscored the strong relationship between the United States and the Holy See and their shared commitment to promoting peace and human dignity.”
The Holy See published its own statement of the meeting, which, according to Vatican spokesperson Matteo Bruni, lasted for 45 minutes.
The statement described the meeting as an encounter where “cordial discussions” took place regarding the “fostering of strong bilateral relations between the Holy See and the United States of America.”
Pope Leo XIV speaks with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the Vatican, Thursday, May 7, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media
This week Trump expressed his desire that Rubio tell the pope that “Iran cannot have nuclear weapons.” The president has repeatedly claimed, without evidence, that Leo wants the Middle Eastern country to develop nuclear armaments.
Leo has rejected those allegations. On May 5 at Castel Gandolfo he stated that the Church “has spoken for years against all nuclear weapons.” On Wednesday, Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin stated that the Holy See “has always worked, and will continue to work, on nuclear disarmament.”
Parolin, who also met Rubio on May 7, also described Trumpʼs recent verbal attacks against the pope as “strange.”
