Pope Leo XIV to meet Rubio at Vatican to repair US relations

Pope Leo XIV will meet privately with Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Thursday at the Vatican in an effort to ease tensions that have publicly strained relations between the Holy See and the Trump administration, The Korea Times reported.

The meeting comes after President Trump publicly lashed out at Leo — the first pope born in the United States — following the pontiff's criticism of administration policies, marking an unusual public rupture between Washington and the world's leading Catholic institution, which serves approximately 1.4 billion faithful.

A Vatican source confirmed to AFP on Sunday that the encounter was designed to "thaw" relations between the two sides, according to The Korea Times. The meeting is set for 11:30 a.m. local time at the Vatican.

The rift deepened last month after Pope Leo XIV publicly criticized Trump administration actions. Trump responded sharply, calling the pontiff "a man that doesn't believe in stopping crime" and accusing him of "toying with a country that wants a nuclear weapon" — a reference to Iran policy — according to The Korea Times.

The standoff drew additional attention when Trump posted an AI-generated image depicting himself as Jesus Christ. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who has broadly backed the Trump administration, broke with Washington on this issue to defend Leo XIV, adding a further dimension to the diplomatic standoff.

During his Rome trip, Rubio will also meet with Vatican Secretary of State Pietro Parolin and Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani. The Korea Times noted this is the second meeting between Rubio and Pope Leo XIV; their first session took place in May 2025, when Vice President JD Vance was also present.

Pope Leo XIV, who leads approximately 1.4 billion Catholics worldwide, is the first pontiff born in the United States.

The outcome of Thursday's meeting is expected to set the tone for Vatican-U.S. relations as the first American pope navigates a widening public dispute with his home country's administration.