Rubio meets with Pope Leo at Vatican to discuss Middle East, international situation

Secretary of State Marco Rubio met privately with Pope Leo XIV and other Vatican officials May 7 to discuss the Middle East, the Western Hemisphere, and the need to promote peace and human dignity, according to statements from the Vatican and U.S. officials. 

In a statement released after the meeting, the Vatican said the “cordial discussions” first took place between Rubio and Pope Leo before later talks involving Rubio, Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin, and Archbishop Paul Gallagher, secretary for relations with states and international organizations. 

The discussions reaffirmed the “shared commitment to fostering good bilateral relations between the Holy See and the United States of America,” according to a translation of the Vatican statement.

“There was also an exchange of views regarding the regional and international situation,” the statement added, “with particular attention given to countries marked by war, political tensions, and difficult humanitarian situations, as well as to the need to work tirelessly in support of peace.”

State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said Rubio and the Pope 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. Rubio later met with Cardinal Parolin to discuss “mutual cooperation and pressing international issues,” according to Pigott. 

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