While the visit was planned some time ago, the encounter this May 7 between Pope Leo and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio was closely watched, given the US president's repeated criticism of the Holy Father.
Find out about some of that here.
On a day that included meetings with the bishops of Burkina Faso and Niger, the prime minister of Poland, and new members of the Swiss Guard, Pope Leo sat down with his countryman in the late morning, Rome time.
As is normally the case with government leaders who visit the Pope, Rubio is also meeting with his Holy See counterpart, the Pope's Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin.
Rubio, 54, is Catholic and the son of Cuban immigrants to the United States.
Later in the afternoon, Rubio posted a simple message on X about the meeting, emphasizing two things: peace and human dignity.
The Vatican also later released a brief report in Italian (here, an Aleteia translation):
During the cordial discussions held this morning at the Vatican by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio — first with His Holiness Pope Leo XIV and subsequently with His Eminence Cardinal Pietro Parolin and His Excellency Archbishop Paul R. Gallagher — the shared commitment to fostering good bilateral relations between the Holy See and the United States of America was reaffirmed.
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 on the need to work tirelessly for peace.
Separately, the Holy See Press Office said discussions about countries enduring war included some African and Middle Eastern countries, such as Lebanon and Iran.
They also spoke about Cuba, which has seen heightened tensions with the US.
