US diplomat meets Pope Leo XIV in bid to ease tensions

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The top US diplomat, Marco Rubio, went to the Vatican on Thursday for talks with the first US pope, Leo XIV, against the backdrop of sharp tensions between the White House and the Vatican.

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The US secretary of state’s visit comes after Trump’s extraordinary criticism of Leo, the head of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics, over his anti-war stance.

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AFP reporters saw Rubio’s motorcade driving up Via della Conciliazione — the grand avenue leading up to St Peter’s Basilica — before entering the Vatican.

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Rubio, a devout Catholic, has sought to play down the rift ahead of the private audience, which will be followed by talks with Vatican Secretary of State Pietro Parolin.

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The US ambassador to the Holy See, Brian Burch, told reporters this week it would likely be a “frank conversation”.

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For the Vatican’s part, “we’ll listen to him”, Parolin told reporters on Wednesday, noting that Washington initiated the meeting.

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– A lot to talk about –

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The Trump administration had celebrated the election one year ago — May 8, 2025 — of Leo, the first US pontiff in history.

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But its relations with the Holy See have since sharply deteriorated.

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In an unprecedented attack, Trump last month took to social media to call the pope “WEAK on crime, and terrible for foreign policy”.

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His remarks came after Leo called for peace in the Middle East war launched by Israel and the United States. He condemned a threat by Trump to destroy Iranian civilisation as “truly unacceptable”.

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Before leaving, Rubio said the trip had been planned before the clash, “and obviously we had some stuff that happened”.

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“There’s a lot to talk about with the Vatican,” he told reporters at the White House, noting particularly the issue of religious freedom, on which the Vatican and Washington agree.

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At a Vatican event on Wednesday, Parolin said: “I imagine we’ll talk about everything that’s happened in recent days — we can’t avoid touching on these topics.”

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But he said they would also discuss international issues, including Latin America, Cuba and Lebanon.

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The Holy See has long played an active role in Cuban diplomacy, while Rubio — a Cuban-American — has led the US administration’s efforts to pressure the communist government.

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Leo also knows Latin America well, having spent two decades as a missionary in Peru, even acquiring Peruvian citizenship.

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– Pope being pope –

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Despite the peace-making attempt, Trump again criticised the pope in an interview on Monday, alleging that Leo believes it is “OK for Iran to have a nuclear weapon”.

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“I think he’s endangering a lot of Catholics and a lot of people,” Trump said of the pontiff.

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Asked about the comments on Tuesday, Leo said that the Catholic Church’s mission was to “preach peace” and the Gospel.

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“If anyone wishes to criticise me for proclaiming the Gospel, let them do so truthfully,” he told reporters.

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“The Church has spoken out against all nuclear weapons for years, so there is no doubt about that, and I simply hope to be heard for the sake of the value of God’s word.”

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Parolin said Wednesday that attacking the pope “seems a little strange to me”, adding: “The pope is being the pope.”

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Leo’s nationality means his words carry more weight in Washington than those of his predecessors — and he has used them, notably criticising the Trump administration’s crackdown on immigration.

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But it was the pontiff’s increasing anti-war rhetoric that triggered Trump’s ire.

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The pope and Rubio met for the first time last year at the Vatican, alongside US Vice President JD Vance, a Catholic convert, just days after Leo’s election.

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AFP

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