Marco Rubio is expected to meet Pope Leo XIV during a visit to Rome later this week, amid tensions between the Vatican and US President Donald Trump over the pope’s recent remarks on war and foreign policy.

According to a Vatican source, the meeting is expected to take place on Thursday and is seen as an effort to improve relations following recent public disagreements between the Pope and the US administration.

Italian media reported that Rubio will also hold talks with Vatican Secretary of State Pietro Parolin, Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani and Defence Minister Guido Crosetto.

An Italian government source also said Rubio had requested a meeting with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, a close ally of Trump in Europe who recently defended the Pope after criticism from Washington.

The planned visit comes weeks after tensions rose between Trump and Pope Leo over the pontiff’s comments on the conflict involving Iran and ongoing global wars.

Pope Leo criticized Trump’s threat to destroy Iran, calling it “unacceptable”, and urged Americans to pressure lawmakers to work for peace.

In response, Trump accused the Pope of being weak on Crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy.

The US president also stated that he was “not a big fan of Pope Leo” and added that he does not “want a Pope who thinks it’s okay for Iran to have a nuclear weapon.”

The Pope later defended his position, saying he had a “moral duty to speak out” against war.

During a speech in Cameroon, he also criticized what he described as “tyrants” causing suffering around the world.

Pope Leo, 70, became the leader of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics on May 8, 2025, following the death of Pope Francis.

As the first Pope from the United States, his views have attracted significant attention both within the church and in American politics, especially on issues such as immigration and international conflict.