Secretary of State Marco Rubio struck a diplomatic tone Friday after meeting Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican, describing the discussion as “very cordial” despite a deepening public feud between the White House and the Catholic leader over the Iran conflict.
Speaking to reporters, Rubio emphasized the pontiff’s spiritual role and the Church’s longstanding mission of peace. “The holy father is a spiritual leader, first and foremost,” Rubio said. “Obviously the church has always interacted on behalf of a mission of peace and respect for all of humanity.”
The meeting came as President Trump has unleashed a series of blistering attacks on the pope, calling him “WEAK on crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy” and accusing him of “endangering a lot of Catholics” by opposing U.S. military operations in Iran. In a recent interview with conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt, Trump claimed the pope was effectively okay with Iran obtaining a nuclear weapon. “I guess if it’s up to the pope, he thinks it’s just fine for Iran to have a nuclear weapon,” Trump said.
Rubio, who also serves as interim national security adviser, said he updated the American-born pontiff on the situation in the Middle East and laid out the U.S. rationale for confronting Iran. “I explained why this was important and the danger Iran poses to the world,” Rubio noted. The administration is currently seeking a new nuclear deal with Tehran after Trump withdrew from the Obama-era agreement during his first term. The two nations are also at odds over control of the Strait of Hormuz, a critical chokepoint for global oil shipments.
Vice President Vance, who is promoting a forthcoming book about his conversion to Catholicism, weighed in on the dispute, urging the pope to “be careful” when invoking “matters of theology.” His comment followed a pointed social media post from the pontiff. “God does not bless any conflict,” the pope wrote. “Anyone who is a disciple of Christ, the Prince of Peace, is never on the side of those who once wielded the sword and today drop bombs. Military action will not create space for freedom or times of #Peace, which comes only from the patient promotion of coexistence and dialogue among peoples.”
After facing backlash from Trump last month, the pope told reporters that a fight with the president is “not in my interest at all.” The rare public rift between a U.S. president and the leader of the Catholic Church underscores the broader tensions over U.S. foreign policy in the region.
Rubio’s visit to the Vatican comes amid a series of diplomatic maneuvers by the administration, including tightened sanctions on Cuba and a review of Mexican consulates as bilateral tensions escalate. The secretary’s meeting with the pope also highlights the administration’s reliance on senior officials to manage sensitive international relationships, even as Trump’s shadow diplomacy has sometimes sidelined traditional State Department channels.
