Pope Leo XIV, who normally meets with heads of state, granted a meeting this morning with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who arrived at the Vatican in the wake of yet more reckless and inappropriate attacks by President Donald Trump. Trump’s latest efforts included an interview on Sunday with Hugh Hewitt, in which he said: “The pope would rather talk about the fact that it’s OK for Iran to have a nuclear weapon. And I don’t think that’s very good. I think he’s endangering a lot of Catholics and a lot of people.” Then, asked yesterday about his message for Rubio to deliver to the pope, he said that his “only message” is that Iran can’t get a nuclear bomb.” He proceeded to double down: “Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon. And he [the pope] seemed to be saying that they can. And I say they cannot.”
Rubio had the unenviable task of establishing some sort of modus vivendi with the Vatican. Over the course of 2-2.5 hours, Rubio met with the Pope, Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin, and Vatican Foreign Minister Archbishop Paul R. Gallagher. The Pope gave Rubio a pen made of olive wood, symbolizing peace, and Rubio gave him a glass football.
The Holy See Press Office, as reported by Vatican News, said that the “cordial discussions” saw both states renew “their shared commitment to cultivate good bilateral relations between the Holy See and the United States of America.” Their encounter also included “an exchange of views on the regional and international situation, with particular attention to countries marked by war, political tensions, and difficult humanitarian situations, as well as on the need to work tirelessly for peace.”
