ROME, May 3 - U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio will travel to the Vatican and Italy for meetings this week, Italian newspapers reported on Sunday, in the wake of public tensions created by comments from President Donald Trump.
According to reports in La Repubblica and Corriere della Sera, Rubio - who is Catholic - is expected to hold talks with Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican's senior diplomat. The newspapers did not indicate whether Rubio would have a private audience with Pope Leo.
Rubio last met Pope Leo in May 2025, when he accompanied Vice President JD Vance. The two U.S. officials attended the new pope's inaugural Mass in St. Peter's Square and held a private meeting with the pontiff the following day.
The coverage noted recent developments in the pope's public role. After maintaining a relatively low profile early in his papacy, Pope Leo has in recent weeks been an outspoken critic of the U.S.-Israeli led war on Iran and has sharply criticized the Trump administration's hard-line anti-immigration policies. President Trump criticized Pope Leo several times on social media in April, at one point calling the pontiff "terrible".
The newspapers reported that Rubio will also meet with Italy's foreign and defence ministers. The trip is described as aimed at easing tensions between the United States and Italy after President Trump's blunt public criticism of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni last month - Meloni is described in the reports as one of Trump's closest European allies.
Corriere della Sera said the schedule for Rubio's visit has not yet been finalised. La Repubblica added that a meeting with Prime Minister Meloni is not excluded.
Requests for comment were not immediately answered. The U.S. State Department, the Vatican press office and an Italian government spokesperson did not immediately respond to questions about the reported visit.
Observers drew attention to the broader diplomatic context in which the trip is taking place. The visit comes days after the Pentagon announced on Friday a drawdown of 5,000 U.S. troops from Germany, the largest U.S. military presence in Europe. That action, along with a rift over the Iran war and ongoing tariff tensions, has contributed to strain in relations between the United States and European partners.
The reports note Italy remains among the European countries with the largest U.S. military presence, hosting almost 13,000 active-duty U.S. soldiers at the end of 2025 across six bases.
Summary
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is set to visit the Vatican and Italy for diplomatic meetings this week, reportedly to address tensions following public criticisms by President Trump of Pope Leo and Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. Rubio is expected to meet Cardinal Pietro Parolin and Italy's foreign and defence ministers, with scheduling still being finalised and a meeting with Meloni not ruled out. The trip follows a U.S. troop drawdown from Germany and comes amid wider strains over the Iran war and tariff disagreements.
Key points
- Rubio is expected to meet Cardinal Pietro Parolin and Italy's foreign and defence ministers - diplomatic sector and defence sector are directly engaged.
- The visit follows public criticism of Pope Leo and Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni by President Trump, placing diplomatic relations between the U.S., the Vatican and Italy under strain - political and diplomatic sectors impacted.
- The trip occurs after the Pentagon announced a drawdown of 5,000 U.S. troops from Germany and against a backdrop of tariff tensions, linking the situation to defence and trade sectors.
Risks and uncertainties
- The visit's schedule has not been finalised and a meeting with Prime Minister Meloni is not confirmed - uncertainty for diplomatic scheduling and political signaling.
- No immediate responses were received from the U.S. State Department, the Vatican press office or an Italian government spokesperson, leaving aspects of the trip and its objectives unclear - communication risk for diplomatic coordination.
- The diplomatic backdrop includes a recent U.S. troop drawdown from Germany and tariff tensions, which could complicate efforts to stabilise relations between the U.S. and European partners - potential operational risk for defence and trade relations.