Marco Rubio meets with Pope Leo for first time since Trump criticisms

Pope Leo XIV publicly received State Secretary Marco Rubio, a practicing Catholic, on Thursday before the two held a private, closed-door meeting. The meeting came about a month after President Donald Trump criticized the pontiff on social media, characterizing him as being weak on crime and having terrible foreign policy views. Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin told reporters that the United States requested the Thursday meeting. The meeting with Pope Leo underscored the shared commitment to fostering peace and human dignity, according to a Thursday statement from Rubio.

What was discussed? The Holy See press office released a Thursday statement characterizing talks with Rubio as cordial. Rubio and Vatican leaders reaffirmed the shared commitment to fostering bilateral relations between the Holy See and the United States, according to the statement.

The group discussed the need to work tirelessly for peace, and exchanged views on regional and international situations, specifically focusing on countries experiencing war and political tensions, the Vatican added. Rubio and Pope Leo specifically discussed the situation in the Middle East, according to the U.S. Embassy at the Holy See.

Dig deeper: Read Kim Henderson’s report in WORLD Magazine on whether Pope Leo will continue the late Pope Francis’ left-leaning legacy.