Donald Trump Criticizes Pope Leo XIV as Marco Rubio Plans Frank Vatican Visit

President Donald Trump renewed his criticism of Pope Leo XIV in an interview with conservative commentator Hugh Hewitt, saying the pope “would rather talk about the fact that it’s OK for Iran to have a nuclear weapon.” The remarks came as Secretary of State Marco Rubio plans to visit the Vatican this week, with the U.S. ambassador to the Holy See, Brian Burch, describing the trip as involving “frank” discussions. Pope Leo responded to Trump’s latest criticism by telling reporters that the Catholic Church “for years has spoken out against all nuclear weapons, so there is no doubt there.” Rubio, a practicing Catholic, told reporters at the White House that Trump’s criticisms were rooted in opposition to Iran potentially obtaining a nuclear weapon that could be used against “millions of Catholics and other Christians.”

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Brian Burch said Rubio is coming “in that spirit” of dialogue, adding that the secretary is coming to “To have a frank conversation about U.S. policy, to engage in dialogue.” Trump’s latest comments, however, continued to frame the pope’s stance on Iran as dangerous, with Trump telling Hewitt that “I think he’s endangering a lot of Catholics and a lot of people.” Pope Leo maintained that his mission is religious rather than political, saying, “The mission of the church is to preach the Gospel, to preach peace.” The dispute also drew responses from Italian officials, with Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani posting that Trump’s criticism of the pope was “neither acceptable nor helpful to the cause of peace.”

The Vatican confirmed that Rubio will meet Pope Leo on May 7 at the Apostolic Palace, with the visit coinciding with the first anniversary of Leo’s papacy on May 8. The meeting is expected to involve “frank” discussions, with Burch telling journalists that the approach is “through fraternity and authentic dialogue.” The stakes are tied to the U.S.-Vatican relationship amid Trump’s repeated attacks, which the AP described as potentially complicating Rubio’s fence-mending visit to the Vatican this week. In parallel, Rubio’s itinerary includes meetings in Rome, and the Guardian reported that he would meet Pope Leo privately at 11.30am (10.30 GMT) in the Vatican’s apostolic palace. The sources also tie the broader agenda to religion and diplomacy, with Rubio pointing to “libertà religiosa” as a theme that “generally unites l’amministrazione Trump e la Santa Sede.”