US Secretary of State Rubio meets Pope Leo XIV: Can the Vatican-White House rift be healed?
Sarah Shamim
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican on May 7, amid ongoing tensions between President Donald Trump and the pontiff. The meeting was seen as an attempt to improve strained bilateral relations. Experts say the meeting is unlikely to immediately heal the rift.
On May 7, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio held an audience with Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican, as relations between the Holy See and the administration of President Donald Trump remain tense. This marks the first meeting between a high-ranking Trump cabinet official and the pope in nearly a year.
According to a statement from the Holy See, the two sides “reaffirmed their shared commitment to fostering good bilateral relations.” The meeting lasted longer than scheduled, causing the pope to arrive 40 minutes late for a subsequent meeting with Vatican staff. Rubio also held talks with senior Vatican officials, including Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Holy See's Secretary of State.
The US Embassy to the Holy See posted on social media platform X that the pope and Secretary Rubio discussed “topics of mutual interest in the Western Hemisphere.” The Holy See emphasized that the two sides “exchanged views” on the global situation and spoke about “the need to work tirelessly for peace.”
A video released by the Vatican shows Pope Leo XIV shaking hands with Rubio, addressing him formally as “Mr. Secretary.” Rubio, a Catholic, responded, “It’s a pleasure to meet you.” He also presented the pope with a small crystal globe and joked that he knew the pope—a fan of the Chicago White Sox baseball team—“prefers baseball.” In return, Pope Leo XIV gave Rubio a small pen made from olive wood, calling it “a tree of peace.”
Ahead of the meeting, Rubio said he expected to discuss Cuba and global religious freedom issues. US Ambassador to the Holy See, Brian Burch, predicted the dialogue could be “frank.”
On May 9, marking exactly one year since Pope Leo XIV became the leader of the 1.4-billion-member Catholic Church, he delivered a speech in the city of Pompeii, calling on God to enlighten leaders to reduce tensions. “We cannot resign ourselves to the images of death that news reports show us every day,” he said.
Pope Leo XIV, the first American elected pope, has faced criticism from President Trump for opposing the US-Israel war in Iran and strict immigration policies. In recent weeks, Trump has repeatedly attacked the pope, accusing him of “supporting a nuclear-armed Iran” and “endangering many Catholics.” The pope has denied the charge, affirming that the Catholic Church teaches nuclear weapons are immoral.
During a trip to Africa last month, the pope criticized “a handful of tyrants” destroying the world, though he later said he was not directly targeting Trump. Before the meeting, Secretary Rubio defended the president, arguing that Trump’s statements had been misunderstood.
Experts say the meeting is unlikely to immediately heal the rift. Kenneth Hackett, former US ambassador to the Holy See under President Obama, told Reuters that the Vatican’s statement indicated “no substantive agreement.” Peter Martin, a former US diplomat, noted the statement “makes clear there is still much work to be done.”
On May 9, Secretary Rubio was also expected to meet with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who has strongly defended the pope and recently seen her relationship with Trump deteriorate over disagreements about the Iran war.
