Trending Now - Rubio Addresses Trump's Tensions With Pope Amid Controversy

WHO:

IJR - Secretary of State Marco Rubio

The Guardian - President Donald Trump

The Guardian - Pope Leo XIV

The Guardian - Brian Burch, US ambassador to the Holy See

The Guardian - JD Vance, US vice-president

The Guardian - Giorgia Meloni, Italian prime minister

The Guardian - Antonio Tajani, Italian foreign minister

The Guardian - Pietro Parolin, Vatican’s secretary of state

WHAT:

IJR - Rubio denied that his upcoming visit to the Vatican is intended to smooth tensions between Pope Leo XIV and Trump.

The Guardian - Trump accused Pope Leo XIV of “endangering a lot of Catholics” due to his stance on Iran.

The Guardian - Trump stated that the pope thinks it is “fine for Iran to have a nuclear weapon.”

The Guardian - Rubio is scheduled to meet Pope Leo XIV at the Apostolic Palace.

The Guardian - Rubio will also meet with Meloni and Tajani on Friday morning.

The Guardian - The trip coincides with the first anniversary of Leo’s papacy.

WHERE:

IJR - Vatican

The Guardian - Apostolic Palace

The Guardian - Italy

WHEN:

The Guardian - Rubio's meeting with Pope Leo XIV is scheduled for Thursday morning.

The Guardian - Rubio's meetings with Meloni and Tajani are scheduled for Friday morning.

WHY:

The Guardian - The tensions were sparked by Trump’s previous comments about the pope and the US-Israeli war on Iran.

The Guardian - Burch stated that nations have disagreements and that dialogue is a way to work through them.

HOW:

The Guardian - Rubio's visit is intended to engage in dialogue and better understand each other’s positions.

(UPDATED May 5, 2026 23:18 UTC)

Secretary of State Marco Rubio is set to meet with Pope Leo XIV at the Apostolic Palace, with the meeting scheduled for Thursday morning, and he will also meet with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani on Friday morning. Tensions have arisen recently, as President Trump accused the pope of endangering Catholics with his stance on Iran, claiming that the pope believes it is acceptable for Iran to possess a nuclear weapon. Rubio's visit aims to foster dialogue and better understand the differing positions of the involved parties, as U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See Brian Burch noted that nations often have disagreements that can be addressed through conversation.