Pope Leo Xiv

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio met Pope Leo XIV and senior Vatican officials on Thursday after weeks of tensions between Washington and the Holy See. The Vatican said the talks were “cordial” and focused on conflicts, humanitarian crises and peace efforts US Secretary of State Marco Rubio met Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican on Thursday amid growing tensions between Washington and the Holy See. Secretary Rubio was received by the Pope in the Apostolic Palace during a visit to Rome that also included meetings with Cardinal Pietro Parolin and Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher. A statement issued afterwards by the Holy See Press Office said the talks had been “cordial” and that both sides had reaffirmed their “shared commitment to fostering sound bilateral relations between the Holy See and the United States of America”. The Vatican said views had been exchanged “regarding situations on the regional and international levels, with particular attention given to countries experiencing war, political tensions and difficult humanitarian situations, as well as the need to work tirelessly for peace”. Holy See officials later indicated that discussions included conflicts and instability affecting parts of the Middle East and Africa, with particular reference to Lebanon and Iran. The situation in Cuba was also raised during the meetings. Ahead of the visit, Cardinal Parolin, the Vatican Secretary of State, had signalled that difficult issues would be discussed openly during Mr Rubio’s time in the Vatican. Speaking to journalists on May 6, the Cardinal Secretary of State said: “We will listen to him, the initiative came from them. We will speak about everything that has happened in these days. We could not fail to touch on these topics.” He said the discussions would concern “international politics and above all conflicts”, including Latin America and “probably also the question of Cuba … all those that are the most pressing issues”. Cardinal Parolin also stressed the importance of maintaining dialogue with Washington despite recent disagreements between senior figures in the United States and the Holy See. “One cannot do without the United States,” His Eminence said. “Despite some difficulties occurring, they certainly remain an interlocutor for the Holy See. Also because they have a role in almost all the situations we are experiencing today.” The cardinal was also asked about criticism directed at Pope Leo XIV by allies of President Trump in recent weeks following papal comments on international diplomacy and war. “To attack him in this way or to reproach what he does seems a bit strange to me,” Cardinal Parolin said, before adding: “The Pope does what he must do: the Pope is the Pope.” Asked whether he relied more upon Mr Rubio or President Trump, the cardinal replied: “Me? I do not rely on anyone. I rely only on Our Lord Jesus Christ.” The Vatican Secretary of State also reiterated the Holy See’s longstanding position on diplomacy and nuclear disarmament, saying the Church continued to favour the resolution of conflicts “through negotiation … of good will, sincere, so that all parties can express their point of view and find points of convergence”. He added that the Pope remained “open to all options” for dialogue, including with President Trump himself. After the meeting, the United States also issued its own account of the discussions through the State Department and the American embassy to the Holy See. According to a statement attributed to State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott, Mr Rubio and Cardinal Parolin discussed “mutual cooperation and pressing international issues”. The statement said the Secretary of State welcomed the recent arrival of Archbishop Christophe Pierre Caccia as the new Apostolic Nuncio to the United States and that both sides reviewed “ongoing humanitarian efforts in the Western Hemisphere and efforts to achieve a durable peace in the Middle East”. It added that the discussions reflected “the enduring partnership between the United States and the Holy See in advancing religious freedom”. A separate message posted by the United States embassy to the Holy See said Mr Rubio had met Pope Leo XIV “to discuss the situation in the Middle East and topics of mutual interest in the Western Hemisphere”. Another embassy statement issued before the visit said Washington was looking forward to “further strengthen[ing] the relationship between the United States and the Holy See”.

Father Francesco Maria Giuliani OSA has known Pope Leo XIV since 2001, when the future Pope was elected Prior General of the Augustinians. In this rare and personal interview, he reflects on Leo’s first year as pope, his character, his leadership style, his approach to bishops and the Traditional Latin Mass, and their friendship Father Francesco Maria Giuliani OSA is a friend, confrere and brother in the Augustinian family of Pope Leo XIV. A Roman priest and member of the Order of Saint Augustine since his religious profession in 1995, Father Giuliani has served in various roles within the Order. He has long been based at the Augustinian Basilica of Santa Maria del Popolo in Rome and, since 2024, has served as parish priest of Santa Rita in Tor Bella Monaca. He first met Fr Robert Francis Prevost when the future Pope was elected Prior General in 2001, and their relationship has remained one of deep and respectful friendship ever since. In this candid and affectionate conversation, Father Giuliani shares rare personal insights into the Pope he has known as a fellow friar. He reflects on how the pontificate has both confirmed and deepened the qualities he already admired. He offers thoughtful observations on Pope Leo’s selection of bishops, which he describes as more measured and merit-based than some expected, as well as his approach to the Traditional Latin Mass and the nature of their friendship, which has necessarily changed since the election yet remains rooted in the Augustinian ideal of fraternal equality and mutual support. AV: First of all, Father, tell us, who are you? FG: In the photo below, I was meeting Pope Francis. It was 2013. Father Prevost was the Prior General who introduced me as Fr Francesco Maria Giuliani from Rome. The Pope said to me, “From Rome itself? Roman priests from Rome itself are rare!” and I felt privileged. Pope Francis had the ability to make you feel important. He added, “Pray for me.” I have been an Augustinian since 1995. I am currently the parish priest of Santa Rita, in a difficult neighbourhood on the outskirts of Rome. It is a demanding but very beautiful task. I chose the Order of Saint Augustine because I was fascinated — and called — by the charism of living the faith and the search for God in communion with the brothers whom the Holy Spirit chooses to unite in Him who is one, Christ. Father Francesco Maria Giuliani OSA meets Pope Francis in 2013 after being introduced by the then Prior General of the Augustinians, Fr Robert Francis Prevost, the future Pope Leo XIV. AV: As we celebrate the first anniversary of Pope Leo’s election to the See of Peter, how would you describe the man you have known for years, in light of the extraordinary burden he now carries on his shoulders? “He perfectly reconciles seriousness and friendliness, professionalism and warmth.” FG: I can confess that I never thought he would become pope — not because I didn’t consider him suitable, but because the figure of the Pope had always seemed distant to me. I saw him as someone completely different from my small world. Perhaps a bit irreverently, I even said it to him when we met after his election: “You know, before this it seemed to me that the Pope came down from a distant planet — I still can’t believe it’s really you!” I have known him since he became our Prior General in 2001. He is a man who perfectly reconciles seriousness and friendliness, professionalism and warmth. He is very diligent but never distant. He is naturally somewhat shy and reserved, yet he has never withdrawn when there was an opportunity to be together, to joke, to share stories and experiences. He is very cordial and very reliable. I have always seen in him this extraordinary ability to combine two aspects that seem opposed. AV: Looking back over this past year, which moments or decisions of Pope Leo’s pontificate have most reminded you of the friend you knew before his election, and which have surprised you the most? FG: Even as Prior General, Father Prevost stood out for his attention to unity and peaceful concord, his strong call to help the poorest and victims of injustice, and the value he placed on study and the common search for God as the one treasure that can unite everyone. I certainly expected his insistence on unity, dialogue and openness to encounter with all. He does not present himself as the holder of a truth to be imposed, but as a seeker of the mystery that we can only help one another to unveil and savour together. I also find that his attention to the poor is in continuity with Pope Francis, but has its own distinctive features. Father Prevost, following Augustine, has always spoken of solidarity with the least in terms of justice rather than mere assistance. He has often reminded us not only to do something for the poor, but to commit ourselves fully so that the dynamics of power and injustice that condemn so many to poverty are broken. His approach seems more systemic and “political” in the sense of wanting to address the social and global issues that cause poverty. What has surprised me is not something new in him, but rather the depth of something I already knew. I see him as very stable and confident in his thinking and deliberate action, capable of managing the situations he faces, tireless in the endless series of commitments he carries out without showing fatigue or inadequacy. Yet he is not lacking in emotion; on the contrary, he has not lost any of his cordiality. AV: You shared a deep friendship with Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost before he became Pope Leo. Could you share a personal memory from the years of your friendship that, in your opinion, best illustrates the kind of Pope he would become? FG: Some journalists began mentioning his name shortly before the conclave, but I couldn’t believe it was possible — I couldn’t see him as pope. For me, it is difficult to separate Father Prevost from Pope Leo. I remember when I had a difficult assignment with the Augustinians and he was very understanding and fatherly towards me. He said, “In anything I can do to help you, remember that I am here and you can turn to me.” Those words were very reassuring and made me feel safe, in good hands. And now I have the same perception: that the Church is in good hands. Fr Francesco Maria Giuliani OSA with the then Fr Robert Francis Prevost, future Pope Leo XIV, during an Augustinian gathering in the early 2000s. “He has surprised expectations by using prudence and foresight.” AV: As someone who perhaps knows the heart of Pope Leo better than anyone else, how do you evaluate his choice of bishops in this first year? Has he chosen men in the way you expected, or has the reality of the Petrine office shaped his choices differently from when he was still Father Robert Prevost? FG: I find that he has made very reasoned and thoughtful choices. Frankly — perhaps naively — I would have expected more “turnover” with people closer to him in thought and vision of the Church and the world. He has not given in to the spoils of the system and has chosen the right people for the right roles. Perhaps some expected faster intervention from him in certain situations, but he has surprised expectations by using prudence and foresight. AV: Many Catholics want to understand Pope Leo’s thinking regarding the Traditional Latin Mass. From your long relationship, can you give us any insight into how he views the Traditional Latin Mass, its place in the life of the Church, and whether his thinking on this topic has evolved since becoming Pope? FG: Frankly, on this specific point I wouldn’t know what to say — we have never spoken about it. As an Augustinian, he is certainly attentive to safeguarding the substance while remaining open to diversity of forms. He is a man of reconciliation and dialogue, which is very different from compromise. I don’t know if he will be forced to make some decision on the matter, but I am sure his first reaction would be to say that there are far more urgent problems. AV: Friendship with a Pope is a rare and precious thing. In what way has your relationship changed since the day of his election? Are there aspects that have remained exactly the same and aspects that have necessarily become different? FG: I would say it has completely changed. Already when he was a cardinal, I felt awkward about contacting him, but now I behave exactly like any other faithful person, with no preferential channel. If we see each other at some audience — him as Pope and me in the crowd — he gives a warm and personal nod of greeting, but I am fully aware that he is now the Pope and the father and brother of all. I cannot and do not want to be different from any other faithful. I know he is close to me as to everyone else, but now the Pope comes before the confrere. AB: Is there a particular quality or virtue in Pope Leo that, in your opinion, the wider Church has not yet fully discovered, but which you have known and cherished throughout your friendship? FG: Precisely his capacity for friendship, his cordiality, his closeness. He is a person of relationship; I think this can be appreciated even more by those who have the grace of being close to him. AB: On this first anniversary, if you could speak privately to the Pope as his old friend, what would you especially like to tell him about the year that has passed and the years that lie ahead? FG: I would like to support and encourage him, to be able to say to him what he once said to me: “In whatever way I can help you, I am here” — but obviously I would not be able to help him carry the burdens that the papacy has placed upon him. When I have had the opportunity to speak with him, I have tried to lighten the moment, to talk about memories and anecdotes, to smile together and enjoy a little lightness. Although I would like to be able to share opinions on the issues that worry him most, I have assured him that I pray for his intentions. AV: Finally, Father Francesco, in what way has knowing and loving Pope Leo as a brother in Christ deepened your own faith and your prayer for the Church during this first year of his pontificate? FG: This is a very profound question. At first, the election of Pope Leo somewhat put me in crisis, as if something I lived as sacred and unattainable suddenly became close and familiar. I feel much more called to deepen and witness my faith, now that — indirectly and unintentionally — an interest has grown around me and my Augustinian family that has increased in me the sense of responsibility and seriousness in bearing witness to the faith in the style of Saint Augustine. AV: Thank you very much for your time Father Francesco, and your priestly ministry.

One year after his election, Pope Leo XIV remains widely respected and personally popular, yet many of the deepest crises inherited from Francis remain unsettled Greeting the eager eyes of the world for the very first time one year ago, Leo XIV laid out his papal style by citing his spiritual father, St Augustine. Twelve months later, the Church he inherited remains largely just as troubled, and though Leo himself is beloved by many, he is yet to deliver notable resolutions to the various conflicts in the manner that was predicted of him. Emerging onto the Loggia in the early evening of May 8, 2025, Leo XIV presented a genial figure and, bedecked in the traditional mozzetta and stole rejected by Pope Francis, was greeted warmly. For all the rhetoric about necessary change proposed by ardent papal apologists during the Francis era, Leo’s use of traditional papal attire made an instant and undeniable positive impression on the crowd. In assessing his first year as pope, it is clear that those who immediately sought to portray him as a reborn St Pius X or an ardent champion of the most heterodox causes have both been confounded. Francis’ reign led to continuous spicy headlines, and his off-the-cuff remarks brushed aside centuries of Tradition in favour of the Argentine’s personal theology. Leo is not as easy to pin down: he is neither revolutionary nor a “rigid” traditionalist. If a label is needed, Leo appears to resemble John Paul II more than his other two immediate predecessors, for both better and worse: charismatic in character, quietly and confidently rooted in his own persona, conservative to a certain extent in liturgy and reverent, but not ardently traditional, orthodox in morality, but sometimes seemingly blind to pressing issues, or simply reluctant to act. For those to whom the latter part of such an assessment seems too critical, one must not forget that a number of pressing scandals and personal appointments remain unaddressed. True, Leo’s style does not appear oriented towards instant action, nor towards breaking the laws of diplomatic courtesy. That can indeed be a positive trait – especially after a pontificate of such turmoil, but in some cases, such as the immense scandal and ecclesial devastation caused by the Francis-era appointment of Cardinal Victor Manuel Fernández, urgent action is not just appropriate but necessary. So what are the most controversial issues Leo has inherited? There is, of course, the infamous Sino-Vatican deal, but given that it is not due for renewal until 2028, Leo will likely feel less pressure over it. So far, though, the Leonine Vatican has continued the previous style of appeasement towards Beijing, seemingly allowing China to pull the strings. This is in large part due to Cardinal Pietro Parolin remaining as Secretary of State. Amoris Laetitia and the scandal of allowing the divorced and “re-married” to receive Communion remain as grave a crisis as when the document was signed by Francis in 2016. Leo has convened a meeting of bishops to discuss the matter in October, and it is the opinion of this correspondent that, at that event or shortly afterwards, the American pope might overturn this element of Francis’ text, albeit in a veiled manner. Should he fail to do so, however, it will likely be seen as one of the most egregious moments of his pontificate. Fiducia Supplicans also remains in force, although Leo appears to have undermined the ill-fated text in recent weeks when he stated that “the Holy See has made it clear that we do not agree with the formalized blessing of couples, in this case homosexual couples, as you asked, or couples in irregular situations, beyond what was specifically, if you will, allowed for by Pope Francis in saying all people receive blessings.” Debate has raged over this line, as to whether Leo was supporting FS or rejecting it, but there is no doubt that the text calls for the blessing of couples and that, by prohibiting such blessings, Leo has softly closed the door. Herein lies the essence of much of Leo’s style. His is a gentle, diplomatic approach, and one much needed. Leo is never going to be the pope who formally overturns the actions of an immediate predecessor, unlike Francis. Rather, he favours re-presenting Catholic teaching anew, quoting just enough of Francis to show continuity in the papal line before then diverging from Francis in content in favour of the Church’s tradition. On more than one occasion, Leo has employed a trademark phrase of Francis’, used by the Argentine to cloud Church teaching, before adding his own twist in order to clarify the matter at hand. He is a man of purpose and of listening. Also evident from his speeches and homilies is the extent of his personal learning and active spirituality. Commenting at the time of his election, many cardinals praised his ability to build bridges between warring parties and satisfy everyone. So far, Leo has certainly attempted to do just that. On the issue of the traditional Mass, another problem inherited from Francis, he made waves by allowing Cardinal Raymond Burke to offer a high-profile Mass for the annual Latin Mass pilgrimage to the Vatican. It was an event laden with significance, and Leo even endured criticism for it from within the Curia. He believed strongly enough in the importance of allowing the event to proceed that he was willing to endure the grumblings of others. But at a certain point, the papacy will force him to act in a way that being a diocesan bishop and Curial prefect did not, namely to decide in such a way as to leave only one side happy. As pope, he has stated that his ministry “is distinguished precisely by this self-sacrificing love, because the Church of Rome presides in charity and its true authority is the charity of Christ.” Leo appears to be a man keen to honour truth, law and basic justice in a way that could not always be said of Francis. He is committed to a fairly permissive degree of listening to differing views and then acting with an informed mind. However, in order to preserve unity based on Christ, Leo will eventually have to leave the heterodox ecclesial lobby unhappy, and whether or not he has the strength to do so will determine the efficacy of his papacy.

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”.

The Vatican has released the full itinerary for Pope Leo XIV’s apostolic journey to Spain from June 6 to June 12. The visit will include stops in Madrid, Barcelona, Gran Canaria and Tenerife The Holy See Press Office has released the itinerary for the anticipated apostolic journey of Pope Leo XIV to Spain, scheduled to take place from June 6 to June 12. According to the programme, the Pope will depart Rome on the morning of June 6 and arrive in Madrid at 10.30 local time, where he will be received at Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas Airport before attending a welcome ceremony at the Royal Palace. He will then make a “courtesy visit to Their Majesties the King and Queen of Spain” and take part in a “meeting with authorities, civil society and the diplomatic corps”, during which he is due to deliver an address. In the evening, he is scheduled to visit the operators and those assisted by the social project “CEDIA 24 hours” before presiding at a “prayer vigil with young people in Plaza de Lima”. On June 7, the Pope will celebrate Mass in Plaza de Cibeles, followed by a Corpus Christi procession. Later that afternoon, he will meet privately with members of the Order of Saint Augustine at the Apostolic Nunciature. The day will continue with a gathering titled “Building Networks with the World of Culture, Art, Economy and Sport” at the Movistar Arena, where he is expected to speak, before concluding with a private dinner at the residence of the cardinal archbishop of Madrid. The programme for June 8 centres on meetings with political and ecclesial authorities. The Pope will meet the Prime Minister at the Apostolic Nunciature before travelling to the Congress of Deputies for a “meeting with members of the Spanish Parliament”, at which he will give an address. He will then meet the bishops of Spain at the headquarters of the Episcopal Conference. In the evening, he will take part in a “prayer and homage to the Virgin of Almudena in the Cathedral of Santa María de la Almudena”, before attending a “meeting with the diocesan community at Real Madrid FC’s Santiago Bernabéu Stadium”. On June 9, the Pope will meet the volunteers who have made the trip possible at IFEMA Madrid before departing for Barcelona. Upon arrival, he will pray the midday office at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross and Saint Eulalia and later preside at a prayer vigil at the Lluís Companys Olympic Stadium. The following day includes a visit to the “Brians 1” penitentiary centre, which, when combined with “Brians 2” on the same site, is the largest prison in Catalonia, where he will greet inmates and staff. He will then travel to Montserrat for the “prayer of the Holy Rosary at the Abbey of Our Lady of Montserrat”, an abbey which saw many of its monks murdered in the Spanish Civil War and subsequently became a symbol of Catalan nationalism. The Holy Father will have a meal with the 70 or so Benedictine monks of the abbey, who have recently celebrated 1,000 years of the monastery. Returning to Barcelona, he will meet representatives of diocesan charity and assistance organisations before celebrating Mass at the Basilica of the Holy Family, which will include the inauguration of the Tower of Jesus Christ. On June 11, the Pope will travel to Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, where he will meet organisations involved in receiving migrants at the port of Arguineguín. The Canary Islands are one of the main entry points for migrants trying to enter the EU, as the Spanish archipelago sits just off the coast of northwestern Africa and is considerably easier to access for African migrants than other parts of Europe. Later on the 11th day, the Pope will address bishops, priests, deacons, Religious and pastoral workers at the Cathedral of Saint Anne before celebrating Mass at the Gran Canaria Stadium. The final day of the visit, June 12, will see the Pope travel to Santa Cruz de Tenerife. He is scheduled to meet migrants at the “Las Raíces” centre and take part in a gathering focused on “the realities of migrant integration in the Plaza del Cristo de La Laguna”. The visit will conclude with Mass in the port of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, followed by a farewell ceremony and departure for Rome in the afternoon, with arrival at Fiumicino expected at 20.10 local time. The six-day visit is the first papal trip to the country in almost a decade and a half. Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI visited in 2011 as part of the country’s World Youth Day celebrations. However, Pope Francis did not travel to Spain during his 13-year pontificate, creating a general sense that the Catholic country is overdue a papal presence. The Spanish Episcopal Conference is organising the visit, with financing partially sourced from private donations and a 10,000-person volunteer team coordinated by the Archdiocese of Madrid.

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.