Rubio Heads To Rome To Make Peace With The Pope

WASHINGTON—Secretary of State Marco Rubio will head to Rome this week to smooth things over with the Vatican amidst tensions between the United States and Pope Leo over the Holy Father’s criticisms of Operation Epic Fury.

Rubio’s visit to Italy will take place from Wednesday, May 6, to Friday, May 8, and is formally intended to “advance bilateral relations with Italy and the Vatican,” the State Department said on Monday, noting that Rubio will “meet with Holy See leadership to discuss the situation in the Middle East and mutual interests in the Western Hemisphere.” The Holy See says Rubio will meet privately with Pope Leo, who is the first pope from the United States. He will also meet with Pietro Parolin, the Vatican’s secretary of state.

The meeting comes amid high tensions between the White House and Pope Leo, who has repeatedly criticized President Donald Trump’s administration. The president has aggressively hit back at the pope, even suggesting that the Vatican chose him as a response to Trump’s presidency — and that “they thought that would be the best way to deal with President Donald J. Trump.”