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  "path": "/partner/rubio-vatican-rome-trump-pope-row",
  "publishedAt": "2026-05-03T09:41:46.000Z",
  "site": "https://nukta.com",
  "tags": [
    "publicly clashed",
    "NATO"
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  "textContent": "\n\n\n\nU.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio will visit Rome and the Vatican this week, an Italian government source told AFP on Sunday.\n\nThe trip comes weeks after Donald Trump publicly clashed with Pope Leo XIV over the pontiff's anti-war stance and his criticism of the U.S. administration's immigration crackdown.\n\n#### Why is Marco Rubio visiting the Vatican?\n\nRubio is visiting the Vatican to repair diplomatic relations following a public dispute between Trump and Pope Leo XIV. Italian media described the trip as a meeting to \"thaw\" ties. Rubio, a Catholic, is expected to meet Vatican Secretary of State Pietro Parolin and Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani during the Thursday-Friday visit.\n\n#### What triggered the Trump-Pope Leo clash?\n\nPope Leo XIV, who became leader of the world's 1.4 billion Catholics on May 8, 2025, following the death of Pope Francis, had criticized the Trump administration's immigration crackdown. The breaking point came after the U.S.-Israeli attack on Iran. On April 7, Leo declared Trump's threat to destroy Iran \"unacceptable\" and urged Americans to press their lawmakers to work for peace.\n\nTrump responded with a social media post calling the pontiff \"WEAK on Crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy.\" He also said he was \"not a big fan of Pope Leo\" and accused the pope of implicitly accepting Iran's nuclear ambitions.\n\n#### How did Italy get drawn into the dispute?\n\nItalian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, one of Trump's closest European allies, condemned his criticism of the pope as \"unacceptable.\"\n\nTrump turned on her in response, saying he was \"shocked\" and that he had been wrong to think she had courage. In an interview with Italian daily Corriere della Sera, he also accused Meloni of failing to support the United States on NATO.\n\nTrump has threatened to withdraw U.S. troops from Italy, saying Rome \"has not been of any help\" in the Iran war. He made a similar threat toward Spain, while the Pentagon separately announced the withdrawal of 5,000 U.S. troops from Germany.\n\n#### Who will Rubio meet during the Rome visit?\n\nRubio is scheduled to meet Vatican Secretary of State Pietro Parolin and Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani.\n\nItalian media also reported a planned meeting with Defense Minister Guido Crosetto. The visit spans Thursday and Friday, according to the Italian government source.",
  "title": "Rubio to visit Vatican and Rome after Trump-Pope Leo row"
}