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Rubio Meets Pope Léon XIV as U.S. and Vatican Seek to Cool Rift

The friendly optics signal damage control following the president’s attacks on the U.S.-born pontiff.

Un pape tourné vers l'unité. [© Alberto PIZZOLI / AFP]
Le pape Léon XIV (au centre) salue la foule depuis la papamobile à son arrivée pour une rencontre avec des jeunes et des familles au stade de Bata, en Guinée équatoriale, le 22 avril 2026
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Overview

  • The secretary of state’s private audience at the Vatican, which took place Thursday, lasted about 45 minutes and both sides called it friendly and constructive.
  • U.S. officials said the talks reaffirmed cooperation on peace and religious freedom, while the Holy See emphasized the need to work tirelessly for peace.
  • Rubio and papal aides also discussed the Middle East and Cuba, including U.S. humanitarian aid that Washington routes through the Catholic Church and Caritas on the island.
  • The trip followed the president’s recent claims that the pope would tolerate an Iranian nuclear weapon and was putting Catholics at risk, allegations Léon XIV rejected by restating the Church’s opposition to all nuclear arms.
  • Analysts say the very public dispute poses political risks for the president among American Catholics, even as Léon XIV marks his first year as pope with visits to Pompéi and Naples on Friday.