Rubio meets Pope in Vatican

They discuss West Asia situation, ‘underscore strong relationship’ between the US and Vatican, and ‘share commitment to promoting peace and human dignity’

Agencies Vatican City

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio met Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican on Thursday, in what was expected to have been a fraught meeting following US President Donald Trump’s repeated attacks on the Catholic leader over the Iran war.

Rubio spent two and a half hours at the Vatican before driving away in a convoy under tight security. He met initially with Leo before sitting down with senior Vatican officials, including top diplomat Italian Cardinal Pietro Parolin.

US State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott said that Rubio and Leo discussed the situation in the Middle East “and topics of mutual interest in the Western Hemisphere.”

“The meeting underscored the strong relationship between the US and the Holy See and their shared commitment to promoting peace and human dignity,” he said.

In a separate statement about the Parolin meeting, Pigott said the two diplomats discussed “ongoing humanitarian efforts in the Western Hemisphere and efforts to achieve a durable peace in West Asia. The discussion reflected the enduring partnership between the US and the Holy See in advancing religious freedom,” the statement said.

Rubio’s meeting with Leo, the first between the pope and a Trump cabinet official in nearly a year, appeared to have run longer than planned. The pope arrived 40 minutes late for a subsequent appointment with Vatican staffers, and thanked them for being patient.

As Rubio arrived at the Vatican earlier on Thursday, Polish PM Donald Tusk was leaving a meeting with Leo. He told journalists he and the pope discussed how to strengthen international cooperation and generate hope in the world.

“It is still possible that the world does not have to descend into chaos, if good people, people of goodwill, find one another and act in unity,” Tusk said, speaking in Polish.

Leo, who on Friday marks his first year leading the 1.4-billion-member Church, has grown more outspoken on the world stage in recent weeks.