Meeting between Pope Leo XIV and Marco Rubio: A 'friendly and constructive' conversation

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.

Conflicts, peace and humanitarian crises on the agenda

Subsequently, Rubio met with the Vatican's Secretary of State and number two, Cardinal Pietro Parolin.

"We are going to listen to him," Parolin told reporters on Wednesday, after clarifying that the appointment is at Washington's initiative and that they would address issues such as Latin America, Cuba and Lebanon.

A statement from the Vatican noted that during the meeting "the common commitment to maintain good bilateral relations between the Holy See and the United States was reaffirmed."

Likewise, the statement indicated that "an exchange of views took place afterwards (...) paying special attention to the countries affected by war, political tensions and difficult humanitarian situations, as well as the need to work tirelessly in favor of peace."