Rome, Italy – U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrived in Italy on Wednesday for a three-day mission to the Vatican aimed at easing tensions between the Trump administration and Pope Leo XIV, the first American-born pontiff. The visit marks the first in-person meeting between a U.S. Cabinet official and the Holy See in nearly a year and comes amid unprecedented public friction between Washington and the Vatican. Relations deteriorated sharply in April 2026 after President Donald Trump used social media to denounce the Pope as “terrible for foreign policy” in response to Leo XIV’s outspoken opposition to the U.S.-Israel war with Iran and to intensified U.S. immigration enforcement. The Pope has repeatedly condemned what he calls a “demonic cycle of evil” in the conflict, putting him at odds with the administration’s “Epic Fury” military strategy. Rome, Italy – Rubio’s schedule includes talks with Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin and the possibility of a private audience with Pope Leo XIV, where he is expected to face pressure over humanitarian concerns and cuts to church-linked organizations. The administration recently reduced funding to Catholic Charities by $11 million, leading to 84 layoffs in Miami, a move widely seen as deepening the rift. Internal Republican tensions have added to the strain, with Vice President JD Vance warning the Pope to be “careful” when theology intersects with national security, prompting U.S. bishops to publicly back Leo XIV. The Vatican also plans to raise concerns about U.S. policy in Latin America, the treatment of migrants and demands for humanitarian corridors in the Middle East. The outcome of Rubio’s mission will influence the administration’s standing with U.S. Catholics and its relationship with key European allies, including Italy, where Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has criticized Trump’s treatment of the Pope as “unacceptable.”

Prepared by Lauren Mitchell and reviewed by editorial team.