The US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, and not Vice President JD Vance, will meet Pope Leo XIV in Rome this Thursday, reports say.
A Vatican source told Reuters about Secretary Rubio’s visit to the Italian capital this week. It will mark the first known in-person meeting between Pope Leo and a member of the Trump administration. Nearly a year will have passed since their last encounter. Last May, Rubio, along with Vance, attended the first Mass of the Pope in St. Peter’s Square. On Friday, May 8, Leo will complete his first year as Pope.
Earlier on Sunday, May 3, Italian dailies La Repubblica and Corriere della Sera reported that Rubio will meet with the Vatican’s Secretary of State, Pietro Parolin. According to the publications, Rubio is also expected to meet with Italy’s foreign and defense ministers.
JUST IN: 🇺🇸Marco Rubio is expected to travel to Italy this week and meet with Pope Leo on Thursday.
Source: Reuter pic.twitter.com/2TBQSAwRML
— Donald J Trump Posts TruthSocial (@TruthTrumpPost) May 3, 2026
According to Corriere, Rubio’s visit is aimed at “thawing” the icy relations between the US and the Vatican, as well as the Italian government. The publication opined that the mission was “not impossible, but complicated.”
Previously, President Trump also criticized Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni after she called out his remarks against Pope Leo. Meloni had been considered one of his closest allies in Europe. He slammed Meloni for not supporting the US war against Iran and threatened to withdraw US troops from Italy.
🇺🇸 Donald Trump: “ Italy did not stand with us, and we will not stand with them if the situation arises. They have made their choice.”
🇮🇹 Giorgia Meloni: “Italy will not join any organization where women and children are being killed for the interests of Israel.” pic.twitter.com/pfc5xUElfX
— WAR (@warsurv) April 30, 2026
Rubio’s upcoming visit to the Vatican follows weeks of a strained relationship between Trump and the Pope. Pope Leo is the first American-born Pope. Lately, he has been vocal about his opposition to the US-Israeli war against Iran and the Trump administration’s anti-immigration policies.
Last month, the Pope disapproved of President Trump’s threat to destroy the “entire civilization” of Iran, calling his statements “unacceptable.” “There are certainly issues here of international law, but even more than that, it is a moral question for the good of the (world’s) people,” Pope Leo said, as he addressed journalists outside his residence in Castel Gandolfo, Italy.
Trump also issued a long statement against Pope Leo on Truth Social. The president said that the pontiff is “WEAK on Crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy.” He then added, “I don’t want a Pope who thinks it’s OK for Iran to have a Nuclear Weapon. I don’t want a Pope who thinks it’s terrible that America attacked Venezuela.” Trump also took credit for the pontiff’s appointment as the Pope.
"I'm not a fan of Pope Leo."
President Trump rips into Pope Leo for being “very liberal" and accusing him of catering to the left after speaking out against the war in Iran.
But the pope isn't backing down, telling reporters his push for peace comes from the Gospel, not… pic.twitter.com/6ZSIp6Guj9
— Fox News (@FoxNews) April 13, 2026
Pope Leo responded to the attack by saying that he has “no fear of the Trump administration.”
Meanwhile, Vice President Vance is the highest-ranking Catholic in the administration. He also critiqued the Pope during a Turning Point USA event in Georgia in April. “I think it’s very, very important for the pope to be careful when he talks about matters of theology,” Vance said. According to the Daily Beast, Vance later praised the Pope for “teaching the gospel, as “he should,” and asking for prayers.
Both Vance and Rubio are possible contenders for the 2028 Presidential race. This time, it was the Secretary of State who secured the meeting with the Pope. It is a decision that may carry broader implications, though only time will tell.
