Key Takeaways:
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican on Thursday in a bid to repair diplomatic ties strained by President Donald Trump's repeated attacks on the pontiff's stance regarding the U.S.-Iran war. The visit, described as a fence-mending mission, comes after weeks of sparring that has vexed the Holy See and key European allies, including Italy.
"Attacking him like that or criticising what he does seems a bit strange to me, to say the least,” Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican secretary of state, said on the eve of Rubio's visit, highlighting the Holy See's frustration.
The diplomatic friction follows President Trump's assertion that the Pope believes "it's OK for Iran to have a nuclear weapon," a claim the Vatican vehemently denies, stating its long-held opposition to all nuclear weapons. The dispute has also drawn in European allies like Italy, whose leaders, including Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, have defended the Pope and criticized the U.S. stance on Iran, creating a complex diplomatic landscape for Rubio to navigate.
The escalating tensions threaten to weaken key U.S. alliances and introduce further volatility into European markets, where Italian public opinion has already linked the Trump administration to inflation and high oil prices. Rubio's mission is seen by some not just as a fence-mending exercise for the administration, but also as a move to bolster his own political standing as a prominent Catholic Republican ahead of the 2028 presidential race.
Rubio, a practicing Catholic, spent nearly three hours at the Vatican, meeting separately with Pope Leo and Cardinal Parolin. The State Department characterized the meetings as underscoring the "strong relationship" and "enduring partnership" between the U.S. and the Holy See, focused on humanitarian efforts and promoting peace.
The Rev. Antonio Spadaro, an undersecretary in the Vatican's culture office, noted that Washington "has come to acknowledge — implicitly but legibly — that [Leo's] voice carries weight in the world that cannot simply be dismissed.” He framed Rubio's visit as a "semantic corrective" to a narrative of conflict, rather than an attempt to change the Pope's views.
The tensions ignited last month when President Trump lashed out at Pope Leo over his perceived criticism of the administration's immigration policies and the war in Iran. The Pope has consistently preached a message of peace, arguing that dialogue is preferable to conflict and that the concept of a "just war" must be re-evaluated in the nuclear age.
Rubio's diplomatic tour continues Friday with meetings scheduled with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani. These discussions may prove equally challenging. Both Italian leaders have publicly condemned Trump's attacks on the Pope as "unacceptable."
The Meloni government faces widespread domestic opposition to the Iran war, making a public show of unity with the U.S. administration politically difficult. Carlo Calenda, an Italian senator, noted that Italian public opinion is "very against Trump," viewing him as responsible for economic instability. This sentiment, compounded by the attacks on the Pope, makes it difficult for Meloni to align with the White House.
Beyond the immediate diplomatic spat, the agenda for the visit also included the situation in Cuba. The Holy See is concerned about the Trump administration's threats of potential military action on the island. Rubio, the son of Cuban immigrants, confirmed that humanitarian aid to Cuba, and the church's role in its distribution, was a topic of discussion.
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice.
