U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio visits Vatican and Rome this week for talks with Pope Leo and Italian officials following Trump's criticism of the pontiff.
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U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio will meet Pope Leo on Thursday during a two-day visit to Rome and the Vatican, the Holy See's press office confirmed Monday. The meeting comes weeks after President Donald Trump launched an unprecedented public attack on the pontiff over foreign policy disagreements.
Rubio, a practicing Catholic, will meet the first U.S.-born pope privately in the Vatican's apostolic palace at 11:30 a.m. local time. The visit is reportedly intended to repair strained diplomatic relations between Washington and both the Holy See and Italy.
During his stay, Rubio will also meet Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin and Italian Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Antonio Tajani. Italian media reported that Rubio will also meet Defense Minister Guido Crosetto on Friday.
The visit follows a sharp public exchange between Trump and Pope Leo. Last month, Trump responded to the pope's criticism of military operations in the Middle East by calling him "weak" and questioning his foreign policy vision. The pontiff had criticized what he described as an "unacceptable" threat to destroy a civilization, referring to Middle East military actions.
The two leaders have also clashed over other international issues, including migration and human rights, according to sources. Trump has also directed criticism at Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, described as one of his closest European allies, in recent weeks.
Italian media interpreted Trump's recent social media post featuring an interview with League party leader Matteo Salvini—in which Salvini praised Trump's "courage" and "cultural foundations" as essential for "Western survival"—as a message to Meloni's government about the preferred tone for engaging with Trump's political circle.
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Iranian official Araghchi meets with Russian counterparts, emphasizing commitment to peace efforts amid regional tensions.
Pope Leo XIV arrived in Cameroon on Wednesday as the continent's Catholic population grows, but African representation in Vatican leadership remains limited.
President Trump suggested withdrawing American forces from Italy and Spain, citing lack of support in Iran conflict. Italian Defense Minister Crosetto disputed the characterization.
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