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U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Pope Leo at the Vatican on Thursday where they discussed the Middle East. The 45-minute closed-door audience marks the first meeting between a Trump cabinet official and the Pope in nearly a year. The visit follows a period of heightened tension caused by President Trump’s public criticism of the Chicago-born pontiff over his stance on the war in Iran.
Rubio, a practicing Catholic, said in an X post that he underscored “our shared commitment to promoting peace and human dignity,” while a Vatican statement said that there was an “exchange of views” on the regional and international situation during the meeting.
Trump has publicly disparaged Leo for criticizing the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran, calling the pontiff “weak on crime” and “terrible for foreign policy” last month, and telling him to “get his act together” and not be a politician. “I don’t want a Pope who thinks it’s OK for Iran to have a Nuclear Weapon,” Trump said.
The president said last month that he was “not a big fan” of the pope, adding: “I don’t think he’s doing a very good job. He likes crime, I guess.”
Trump doubled down on his criticism this week ahead of Rubio’s visit.
That suggestion stemmed from the president’s determination that Iran not have a nuclear weapon, Rubio said, which could be used “against places that have a lot of Catholics, and Christians, and others for that matter.”
Leo, who will mark his first year as the pontiff on Friday, has hit back.
The pope said he was not interested in a debate with Trump and had “no fear of the Trump administration” as he vowed to keep up his appeals for peace, which he said were rooted in the Gospel.
He has also rejected the idea that he supported nuclear weapons. “The Church has for years spoken out against all nuclear weapons, so there is no doubt about that, and so I simply hope to be heard for the sake of the word of God,” he said Tuesday.
Trump has refused to apologize to Leo and has added to the controversy by posting an image on social media that appeared to depict himself as Jesus Christ. It was later deleted after backlash.
