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U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio held a lengthy private meeting with Pope Leo XIV on Thursday inside the Apostolic Palace, as relations between the Trump administration and the Vatican remain strained following repeated public attacks by President Trump on the first American pope in history.

The meeting, which lasted over two hours according to reports, focused on the situation in the Middle East — particularly Iran and Lebanon — as well as humanitarian issues in the Western Hemisphere, including Cuba. Both sides described the discussions as constructive, emphasizing shared commitments to peace and human dignity.

“The meeting underscored the strong relationship between the United States and the Holy See,” the U.S. State Department said in a readout.

A Delicate Diplomatic Mission

Rubio’s visit comes just before the one-year anniversary of Pope Leo’s election and follows months of extraordinary public criticism from President Trump. The pontiff has openly opposed U.S. military action in Iran, advocated strongly for refugees and migrants, and maintained positions at odds with the administration’s immigration policies.

A Vatican spokesman noted an “exchange of views on the regional and international situation,” with particular focus on war-torn countries and humanitarian crises. Rubio had previously signaled he intended to raise the issue of Cuba, where the U.S. has channeled humanitarian aid through the Catholic Church.

This marks the second known meeting between Rubio — a devout Catholic — and the Chicago-born pope.

The Real Story

Thursday’s meeting represents a clear effort by the Trump administration to lower the temperature after the President’s repeated and unprecedented attacks on Pope Leo XIV. Trump has publicly called the pope “WEAK on Crime,” accused him of catering to the “Radical Left,” and claimed he was “endangering a lot of Catholics” by opposing nuclear weapons in Iran.

The public back-and-forth has raised eyebrows even among longtime allies, testing the traditionally stable U.S.-Vatican relationship. While Rubio downplayed the tensions and insisted the trip was routine diplomatic engagement, the high-level meeting signals an attempt to return to quiet diplomacy behind the scenes.

Pope Leo has maintained he has “no fear” of the Trump administration and will continue speaking on issues of peace, migrants, and nuclear weapons. The Vatican has also ruled out a papal visit to the U.S. in 2026.

Whether Rubio’s visit successfully cools the rhetoric and restores functional behind-the-scenes cooperation remains to be seen. For now, the optics of America’s top diplomat sitting down with the pontiff amid open hostility from the President highlight just how unusual — and tense — this chapter in U.S.-Vatican relations has become.