Meeting between Pope Leo XIV and Marco Rubio: A 'friendly and constructive' conversation
The meeting "underscored the strong relationship between the United States and the Holy See and their shared commitment to promoting peace and human dignity."
Pope Leo XIV with Marco Rubio at the Vatican.
Despite President Trump's recent criticism of Pope Leo XIV, Secretary of State Marco Rubio traveled to the Vatican and held a private and cordial meeting with the supreme pontiff on Thursday. An anonymous source from the Department of State (DoS) described the meeting as "friendly and constructive."
According to an official statement from Washington, the meeting, which lasted about 45 minutes, "underscored the strong relationship between the United States and the Holy See and their shared commitment to promoting peace and human dignity."
Rubio and Leo XIV discussed "the situation in the Middle East and topics of mutual interest in the Western Hemisphere." The dialogue also attested to "the strong and ongoing partnership on behalf of religious freedom," the DoS stressed.
After seeing the pope, the secretary of state met with Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican's number two.
The Holy See has not provided details or released any statement about what was discussed.
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