On Thursday, Pope Leo XIV will receive Catholic Senator Marco Rubio at the Vatican, sources tell La Repubblica and others.
Italian media describe it as an attempt to thaw relations after the Trump administration's latest statements. The president has claimed, among other things, that the pope thinks it's "okay for Iran to have nuclear weapons" and that Leo "is a jerk to the radical left." Vice President JD Vance has urged the pope to be "cautious" when he speaks out on theology.
Trump has also criticized Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, one of his closest allies in Europe, after she came to the pope's defense.
According to Italian media, Rubio's visit will take place on May 7–8.
