What do American Catholics think about Pope Leo’s first year?
Pope Leo XIV, the first American-born pope, is highly regarded by Catholics as his term ends in a year amid conflict with President Donald Trump.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is scheduled to travel to Italy this week for talks with Pope Leo XIV, a senior Vatican official told USA TODAY.
The visit will be the Chicago-born pontiff’s first meeting with a senior administration official since President Donald Trump harshly criticized him last month. The Vatican official spoke on condition of anonymity because the meeting has not yet been made public.
The Washington Post first reported news of the planned talks.
President Trump is at odds with the Pope’s position on the Iran war. The Vatican has also traditionally served as an intermediary with Cuba, which President Trump is considering taking over. Mr. Leo expressed concern about the growing tensions between the Trump administration and Cuba. The White House, eager to push through economic and political reforms in Cuba, imposed a de facto oil blockade on the island, pushing the country to the brink of humanitarian disaster.
In April, the Cuban government announced that it had granted amnesty to 2,010 detainees believed to have targeted the White House ahead of Easter.
Last month, President Trump criticized Leo, calling him “soft on crime” and “terrible on foreign affairs.” The remarks sparked disagreement among conservative Catholics and triggered a wave of backlash. President Trump also hinted that Leo, the first American-born pope, was elected at last year’s conclave in part as a response to his leadership.
