1 month ago
The US caput of state, Marco Rubio, will meet Pope Leo connected Thursday, weeks aft Donald Trump’s unprecedented broadside against nan pontiff.
Rubio will meet nan first US-born pope privately successful nan Vatican’s apostolic palace astatine 11.30am (10.30 GMT), nan Holy See’s property agency confirmed connected Monday aft media reports connected Sunday.
Rubio will besides meet nan Vatican’s caput of state, Pietro Parolin, and nan Italian overseas curate and lawman premier minister, Antonio Tajani, during a two-day sojourn reportedly intended to thaw Washington’s frosty relations pinch Rome and nan Holy See.
He had besides asked to meet nan Italian premier minister, Giorgia Meloni, a overseas ministry root told nan Guardian connected Sunday, but nan petition had not yet been granted. Speaking successful Yerevan astatine a gathering of nan European Political Community, Meloni indicated she would astir apt meet Rubio.
The trip, which coincides pinch nan first day of Leo’s papacy, comes weeks aft Trump lashed retired astatine nan pope complete his condemnation of nan US-Israeli warfare connected Iran. Trump called him anemic and said he was not doing a very bully occupation arsenic pontiff.
Trump past shared an AI-generated image depicting himself arsenic Christ earlier deleting it and saying it had really been a portrayal of him arsenic a doctor.
The US vice-president, JD Vance, besides criticised nan pope, saying nan Vatican should “stick to matters of morality” and that Leo should beryllium observant erstwhile it came to talking astir theology and war.
Trump besides berated Meloni, antecedently 1 of his closest friends successful Europe, aft she criticised his remarks astir Leo, rebuking her authorities for not supporting nan strikes connected Iran and threatening to retreat US troops from Italy arsenic a result.
Rubio and Vance attended nan pope’s inauguration successful May past twelvemonth and had a private assemblage with him nan time after, during which they handed him an invitation from Trump to nan White House that Leo has not yet taken up.
In consequence to Trump’s outburst successful April, he said he did not fearfulness nan US management and continued to speak retired against nan warfare connected Iran.
Leo will people his first day arsenic pope pinch a travel connected Friday to nan confederate Italian municipality of Pompeii, wherever he will observe wide astatine nan Shrine of Our Lady of nan Rosary of Pompeii, and successful Naples.
