Rubio Meets Pope Leo XIV at Vatican in Push to Ease US-Vatican Rift
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio held private talks with Pope Leo XIV at the Apostolic Palace in Vatican City. The meeting aimed to ease rising tensions between the White House and the Holy See over the Iran conflict and other global issues. Rubio also discussed peace efforts in the Middle East, religious freedom and humanitarian challenges in Latin America and the Caribbean with senior Vatican officials, including Cardinal Pietro Parolin. Both sides described the talks as cordial and focused on reinforcing diplomatic ties. The visit included symbolic exchanges: Rubio presented a crystal football, while the Pope gifted an olive wood pen as a symbol of peace. Rubio, a practicing Catholic, spent over two hours at the Vatican—the first meeting between the pontiff and a senior Trump administration official in nearly a year. Observers say the diplomatic engagement comes after public disagreements between President Trump and the Pope, and it underlines Washington’s intent to reassure the Holy See of America’s commitment to strong bilateral relations.
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