Secretary of State Marco Rubio has yet another new job: Temporary Ambassador to the Vatican.
The Trump administration’s busiest cabinet member is flying to Rome for a face-to-face meeting with Pope Leo XIV — a diplomatic mission aimed at strengthening ties between the United States and the Holy See amid the ongoing Iran war.
Rubio, a devout Catholic, is scheduled to meet with the Pope at the Vatican Thursday for what U.S. Ambassador Brian Burch described as a “frank conversation.” The State Department said the purpose of the visit is to “advance bilateral relations with Italy and the Vatican.”
Pope Leo, the first American-born pope in history, has been vocal in his opposition to the U.S.-Israeli military campaign in Iran since the conflict began. In March, he issued a direct appeal to all parties involved.
“Faced with the possibility of a tragedy of enormous proportions,” Leo said, “I address to the parties involved a heartfelt appeal to assume the moral responsibility to stop the spiral of violence before it becomes an irreparable abyss!”
The Vatican’s top diplomat, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, made clear the Pope intends to keep speaking out.
“The pope will go ahead on his path, in the sense of preaching the Gospel and peace,” Parolin told reporters, adding that Leo would speak about peace at every opportunity — “convenient and inconvenient.”
Burch struck an optimistic tone ahead of the meeting that a discussion and agreement could be made.
“Nations have disagreements, and I think one of the ways that you work through those is through fraternity and authentic dialogue,” he said. “I think the Secretary is coming here in that spirit.”
Following his Vatican visit, Rubio will meet with Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani and Defense Minister Guido Crosetto, with a possible sit-down with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni still unconfirmed.
It is not Rubio’s first visit with the pontiff. He and Vice President JD Vance both attended Pope Leo’s inaugural mass last year — the Trump administration’s only previous known cabinet-level meetings with the Pope.
Rubio is currently serving as both Secretary of State and acting National Security Advisor, making him the most active foreign policy voice in the administration.
Thursday’s Vatican meeting puts him again at the center of one of the most delicate diplomatic relationships the administration is currently navigating.