Rubio Meets With Pope Leo at the Vatican

The U.S. secretary of state, who is himself a Catholic, is on a two day visit to Rome, which will also see him meet Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.

State Secretary Marco Rubio speaks during a press briefing at the White House on May 5, 2026. Madalina Kilroy /The Epoch Times

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican on May 7, amid a war of words that has broken out between the head of the Catholic Church and U.S. President Donald Trump.

Rubio, who also serves as Trump’s national security adviser, arrived at the Apostolic Palace around 11:10 a.m. local time for the visit, which will be the first between the pontiff and a Trump Cabinet official in almost a year.