VATICAN CITY — US Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican on Thursday, in what was expected to have been a fraught meeting following US President Donald Trump’s repeated attacks on the Catholic leader over the Iran war.

Rubio spent two and a half hours at the Vatican before driving away in a convoy under tight security. He met initially with Leo before sitting down with senior Vatican officials, including top diplomat Italian Cardinal Pietro Parolin.

US State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott said that Rubio and Leo discussed the situation in the Middle East “and topics of mutual interest in the Western Hemisphere.”

“The meeting underscored the strong relationship between the United States and the Holy See and their shared commitment to promoting peace and human dignity,” he said.

In a separate statement about the Parolin meeting, Pigott said that the two diplomats discussed “ongoing humanitarian efforts in the Western Hemisphere and efforts to achieve a durable peace in the Middle East. The discussion reflected the enduring partnership between the United States and the Holy See in advancing religious freedom,” the statement said.

Rubio’s meeting with Leo, the first between the pope and a Trump cabinet official in nearly a year, appeared to have run longer than planned. The pope arrived 40 minutes late for a subsequent appointment with Vatican staffers, and thanked them for being patient.

Vatican photos of the meeting showed Leo and Rubio shaking hands before sitting down........

© The Times of Israel