On Thursday, Pope Leo XIV met with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the Vatican, the meeting coming amid tensions between the Holy See and US President Donald Trump.
Trump has expressed his disapproval of Leo’s public statements condemning the US-led war on Iran. The Holy Father has repeatedly called for peace amid the ongoing conflict.
according to a statement The pontiff and Rubio discussed “the situation in the Middle East and topics of mutual interest in the Western Hemisphere,” the statement released by the US State Department said.
Pope Leo XIV speaks to U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the Vatican on Thursday, May 7, 2026. Credit: Vatican Media
It also said their meeting “underscores the strong ties 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 lasted 45 minutes, according to Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni.
The statement described the meeting as one where there were “cordial discussions” regarding “fostering stronger bilateral relations between the Holy See and the United States.”
Pope Leo XIV speaks to U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the Vatican on Thursday, May 7, 2026. Credit: Vatican Media
This week Trump expressed his wish that Rubio tell the Pope that “Iran cannot have nuclear weapons.” The President has repeatedly claimed, without any evidence, that LEO wants Middle Eastern countries to develop nuclear weapons.
Leo has rejected those allegations. On 5 May in Castell Gandolfo he said that the Church “has been speaking out for years against all nuclear weapons.” On Wednesday, Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin said the Holy See “has always worked, and will continue to work, on nuclear disarmament.”
Parolin, who also met with Rubio on May 7, called Trump’s recent verbal attacks against the Pope “strange.”
