US Secretary of State Marco Rubio to Meet Pope Leo XIV in Rome This Week
Meeting aims to thaw relations following Trump's criticism of pontiff's anti-war rhetoric
L'essentiel
- US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will meet Pope Leo XIV in Rome on Thursday, Italian media reported, in an effort to repair relations following Trump's extraordinary criticism of the pontiff's anti-war rhetoric.
- Rubio will also meet Vatican Secretary of State Pietro Parolin, Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, and Defence Minister Guido Crosetto, amid growing transatlantic tensions over the Middle East conflict.
Résumé généré par IA
Pourquoi c'est important
Trump issued extraordinary criticism of Pope Leo XIV over the pontiff's anti-war rhetoric regarding the Middle East conflict. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, one of Trump's closest European allies, defended the Pope, leading Trump to turn on her. This has created a diplomatic rift that Rubio's Rome trip aims to address.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will meet Pope Leo on a trip to Rome this week, in the wake of the pontiff's clash with US President Donald Trump, a Vatican source said on Sunday. The source confirmed Italian media reports about the meeting, which newspapers said would take place on Thursday in an attempt to "thaw" relations. It comes just weeks after Trump's extraordinary criticism of Pope Leo XIV over the Catholic leader's anti-war rhetoric. An Italian government source earlier told Agence France-Presse that Rubio would also meet Vatican Secretary of State Pietro Parolin and Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani. Rubio had asked for a meeting with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, one of Trump's closest European allies, whom he turned on after she defended the pope, the source added. Media reports said he was also expected to meet Defence Minister Guido Crosetto, amid a deepening rift in transatlantic ties over the war in the Middle East.
À surveiller
Perspective IA — des possibilités, pas des certitudes
The meeting will result in a public statement aimed at de-escalating tensions between the US and Vatican
Probable · En quelques semaines
Giorgia Meloni will continue to maintain both US and Vatican relationships despite the rift with Trump
Probable · En quelques mois
Questions ouvertes
- What specific outcomes is Rubio seeking from the meeting?
- How will the meeting affect US-Vatican relations going forward?
- Will Meloni's defense of the Pope damage her relationship with Trump permanently?
