US says Rubio to discuss Mideast in Vatican visit

During his trip to Rome, the US diplomat is also expected to meet with Vatican Secretary of State Pietro Parolin and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who Trump insulted after she defended the Catholic leader.

"Secretary Rubio will meet with Holy See leadership to discuss the situation in the Middle East and mutual interests in the Western Hemisphere," the State Department said, confirming the Wednesday-Friday visit.

"Meetings with Italian counterparts will be focused on shared security interests and strategic alignment."

The trip by Rubio, a devout Catholic who regularly attends Mass, comes after Trump stunned many observers by attacking Pope Leo, the first American-born pontiff.

Trump called the pope "WEAK on crime, and terrible for foreign policy" after Leo called for peace in the Middle East war, and said that Trump's call to destroy Iranian civilisation was unacceptable.

The pope has also spoken out against Trump's sweeping crackdown on immigration.

Italian media have presented this week's meetings as an attempt to "thaw" relations.

Rubio's private audience with the pope, at 11:30 am (0930 GMT) Thursday, comes the day before Leo marks one year as head of the world's 1.4 billion Catholics.

Christians across the world spoke out in support of Pope Leo after Trump's outbursts, which analysts say could hurt the US president politically.

Even before the clash, polls conducted in March and April showed growing disapproval of Trump among American Catholics, a warning sign after he won a majority of Catholic voters in the 2024 election.

Cuba is another likely topic of discussion in the talks at the Vatican.

The Holy See has long played an active role in diplomacy on Cuba, where Rubio -- a Cuban-American -- has been leading the Trump administration's efforts to pile pressure on the communist government.

Rubio requested the meeting with Meloni, an Italian government source told AFP on Sunday. That is scheduled for Friday morning.

The far-right Italian leader has been one of Trump's closest European allies, but the president criticised her as lacking courage after she defended the pope.

Trump has also threatened to pull US troops from Italy, saying Rome "has not been of any help to us" in the Iran war.

The pope and Rubio previously met at the Vatican with US Vice President JD Vance just days after Leo's election.