Rubio Calls Talks With Pope 'Very Positive,' Announces U.S. Aid to Cuba

Overview

• Marco Rubio, who met Pope Leão XIV on Thursday at the Vatican, said Friday the talks were very positive and announced U.S. humanitarian aid for Cuba.
• Rubio spent about two and a half hours at the Holy See, met Cardinal Pietro Parolin, and departed under heavy security as neither side disclosed detailed outcomes.
• U.S. and Vatican readouts described the private audience as amicable and constructive, signaling an effort to steady relations without revealing policy shifts.
• The visit followed Trump's claim that the pope would accept an Iranian nuclear weapon, a charge the pontiff rejected as he restated the Church's long-standing opposition to nuclear arms and its mission of peace.
• Coverage points to broader fallout that includes strain with Italy's prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, and warnings that Trump's rhetoric could alienate Catholic Republican voters in the U.S.