The May 7-8 trip comes hot on the heels of Trump’s criticism of the pope and the Italian leader.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is set to visit Italy later this week, according to media reports, barely a fortnight after President Donald Trump attacked Pope Leo XIV for his anti-war stance and criticized Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni for defending the pontiff.
Rubio’s planned May 7-8 trip to Rome and the Vatican is being characterized by Italian media as an effort to “thaw relations” after Trump assailed the pope in mid-April for criticizing the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran, and then blasted Meloni, who has had close ties with the U.S. president, for taking Leo’s side.
According to the media reports, Rubio is expected to meet with Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani and Defense Minister Guido Crosetto, as well as with the Vatican’s Secretary of State Pietro Parolin.
The visit comes just weeks after Trump attacked Pope Leo over the Catholic leader’s anti-war rhetoric, calling him “Weak on Crime, Weak on Nuclear Weapons” and “terrible for Foreign Policy.” That came after Leo wrote on X that “God does not bless any conflict.”
Trump also shared an AI-generated image of himself as a Christ-like figure. Following rebukes from religious circles and some of his political allies, Trump removed the image.
Trump also dismissed Prime Minister Meloni — who has been one of his closest European allies — as lacking courage after she defended the pontiff.
For his part, the pope responded to Trump’s criticism by saying he had “no fear” of the White House and would not be silenced.
Rubio met with Leo, the first American pope, in May last year, alongside U.S. Vice President JD Vance after the two attended the new pontiff’s inaugural Mass in St. Peter’s Square.
There is no indication at this point whether Rubio will meet directly with the pope this week or with Meloni.