Marco Rubio

Pope Leo XIV has responded directly to Donald Trump’s criticism, stating that “there is no doubt” about the Church’s opposition to nuclear weapons The Holy Father Pope Leo XIV has responded to the latest criticism from Donald Trump. Speaking to reporters outside the the papal villa in Castel Gandolfo on Tuesday, May 5, the Pope said in Italian: “I have spoken out from the very moment I was elected, and now, as we approach the anniversary, I have said, ‘Peace be with you.’” The Pontiff added: “If anyone wishes to criticise me for proclaiming the Gospel, let them do so with truth.” Addressing Trump’s accusation that he was in favour of Iran possessing nuclear weapons, the Pope responded: “For years the Church has spoken out against all nuclear weapons, so there is no doubt about that.” The Pope concluded his remarks in Italian by saying: “I simply hope to be heard for the sake of the value of God’s words.” Speaking to another reporter in English, he continued: “I always believe that it’s much better to enter into dialogue than to look for arms and support the arms industry, which gains billions and billions of dollars each year, instead of sitting down at the table and solving our problems and using money to solve humanitarian issues and hunger in the world.” Trump’s latest remarks were delivered on Monday during an interview with Hugh Hewitt. He said: “The Pope would rather talk about the fact that it’s OK for Iran to have a nuclear weapon.” He continued: “And I don’t think that’s very good. I think he’s endangering a lot of Catholics and a lot of people.” The comments came after Trump posted on his social media platform, Truth Social, last month that the Pope was “WEAK on crime” and “terrible for foreign policy”, before later posting an image of himself depicted as Jesus. President Trump has consistently sought to justify the joint US and Israeli military action in Iran, which has an estimated death toll of 3,114 people, according to HRANA, including 1,354 civilians, of whom 207 were children. The Pope has responded to the war, and to various other conflicts around the world, by calling for peace. The disagreements come during an important diplomatic week for the United States and the Vatican, which will see Secretary of State Marco Rubio make a two-day visit to Italy and the Vatican. Alongside JD Vance, Rubio is often seen as the Catholic face of the Trump administration. Not always a practising Catholic, Rubio also attended the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as a child before returning to Catholicism with his family. He later drifted from the faith during the early years of his professional success. However, he subsequently returned, speaking of a renewed desire to receive the Eucharist, which he described as “the sacramental point of contact between the Catholic and the liturgy of heaven”. Rubio is often regarded as a calming presence within a volatile administration, a characteristic that was particularly evident in his 2026 Munich conference speech, which focused on shared American and European ideals and prompted the Latvian president to say that he “agreed with every single word”. Rubio is also a seasoned politician, having served as Senator for Florida since 2011. He speaks Spanish fluently and is the child of Cuban immigrants, sharing Pope Leo’s strong association with Latin America. The decision to send him at a time of deteriorating diplomatic relations between the Holy See and the United States therefore appears politically astute. Despite Trump’s apparent doubling down on criticism of the papacy, the administration is likely conscious of the potential ramifications of a public fallout with the spiritual leader of the United States’ 70 million Catholics. The Catholic voting bloc has supported every winning presidential candidate in recent US political history, with some polls placing Catholic support for Trump’s 2024 campaign as high as 57 per cent. In November, the United States midterm elections will see voters elect all 435 members of the House of Representatives and 35 Senate seats. Emerson College Polling currently gives the Democrats a 10-point advantage on the generic congressional ballot. If Republicans fail to reverse the current polling trend, the election could result in Democrats taking control of the House and being able to block much of Trump’s legislative agenda. Rubio will also seek to smooth relations with Italy, where Giorgia Meloni, a long-time Trump ally, has taken exception to Trump’s remarks about the Pope, describing them as “unacceptable”. Relations have further deteriorated over the Italian Prime Minister’s refusal to involve Italy in the war with Iran, with Trump responding: “I’m shocked at her. I thought she had courage, but I was wrong.” With Viktor Orbán recently ousted after 16 years in power, Trump is left with relatively few close allies governing in Europe. Much of his remaining European political support now comes in the form of opposition figures such as Nigel Farage, Marine Le Pen and Mateusz Morawiecki. Rubio has attempted to play down the timing of the diplomatic visit, telling reporters in the White House briefing room that it was a trip “we had planned from before” and that “the trip is really not tied to anything other than the fact that it would be normal for us to engage with them [the Church]”. Secretary of State Marco Rubio will visit Vatican City on Thursday, May 7, where he will have an audience with Pope Leo XIV at the Apostolic Palace, scheduled for 11.30am. According to the White House, the meeting will focus on the Middle East and mutual interests in the Western Hemisphere. On Friday, Rubio will meet Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani to discuss what the White House has described as “shared security interests and strategic alignment”.

Marco Rubio is set to meet Pope Leo XIV and Cardinal Parolin in Rome, as Washington moves to ease tensions with the Vatican after recent clashes over Iran and criticism from President Trump The United States Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, is expected to arrive in Rome on 7 May for meetings with Vatican and Italian officials, in what is understood to be an effort by Washington to stabilise relations. The visit, confirmed by the Holy See Press Office, will include a meeting with the Pope and talks with Pietro Parolin, as well as senior figures within the Italian government. It comes almost a year to the day since the election of Pope Leo XIV, and marks the first senior-level engagement between the current US administration and the Vatican since the deterioration in relations prompted by the President’s remarks about the pontiff. Over the past month, President Donald Trump has publicly criticised Pope Leo in recent weeks over the Holy See’s opposition to the United States’ military action against Iran. In one post circulated on social media, the President described the Pope as “WEAK on Crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy”. The Vatican has not issued an official response to Rubio’s visit, but the Holy See has continued to articulate its position on the conflict. Speaking to journalists last month while travelling to Africa, Pope Leo said he had “no fear of the Trump administration, or speaking out loudly of the message of the Gospel”. The Pope has repeatedly criticised the use of military force, warning against what he described in a separate address as the actions of “tyrants” who expend vast resources on warfare. Rubio’s presence in Rome is also expected to include discussions with Italian officials, amid signs of strain between Washington and Rome. Italy’s Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, had been regarded as a close ally of the Trump administration, but relations have cooled following her criticism of the US position on Iran and her public disapproval of the President’s remarks about the Pope. She described the attacks as “unacceptable”, placing her government at odds with Washington on both diplomatic tone and policy substance. According to Italian press reports, Rubio’s visit was communicated to the government in Rome through diplomatic channels, with indications that efforts have been underway to “rebuild the bridge” between the two countries. Meetings are expected to include Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, with further contacts under discussion. It remains unclear whether a meeting with Meloni herself will take place. The wider diplomatic context has been further complicated by tensions between the United States and other European allies. Recent statements from Washington have included threats to reassess troop deployments in Europe, including in Italy, Germany and Spain, following criticism from European leaders over the Iran campaign. Italian Defence Minister Guido Crosetto has rejected suggestions that Rome has failed to support US operations, particularly in relation to maritime security. Rubio’s role as a senior Catholic within the administration has been noted. The timing of the visit, with the United States approaching midterm elections later this year, has also attracted attention. Catholic voters remain a significant voting bloc in American politics, having come out in support for all presidential victories in recent history. Trump himself received an estimated 57 per cent of the Catholic vote in 2024. Whether Rubio’s meetings in Rome will succeed in easing tensions remains to be seen, but the decision to send the Secretary of State signals an acknowledgement within Washington that the President is seeking to ease relations with the Vatican.