ABOVE PHOTO: Pope Leo XIV exchanges gifts with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio during a private audience at the Vatican May 7, 2026. OSV News photo/Matteo Pernaselci, Vatican Media
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican on May 7, discussing the war in Iran, humanitarian aid and what the Vatican described as “the need to work tirelessly to promote peace,” amid ongoing tension between President Donald Trump and the Pope.
Rubio, who is Catholic, spoke with the American pope for over 45 minutes in a private meeting in the Apostolic Palace before also sitting down with Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican secretary of state, and Archbishop Paul Gallagher, the Vatican’s foreign minister, for talks that reaffirmed “the shared commitment to fostering good bilateral relations between the Holy See and the United States of America,” according to the Vatican.
“There was then an exchange of views on the regional and international situation, with particular attention to countries affected by war, political tensions and difficult humanitarian situations, as well as the need to work tirelessly to promote peace,” the Holy See Press Office said in a statement released after the meeting.
The Church needs quality Catholic journalism now more than ever. Please consider supporting this work by signing up for a SUBSCRIPTION (click HERE) or making a DONATION to The Monitor (click HERE). Thank you for your support.