Rubio’s personal viewers with the pope, at 11:30am (5:30pm, Singapore time) Thursday, comes the day earlier than Leo marks one yr as head of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics.
Christians internationally spoke out in assist of Pope Leo after Trump’s outbursts, which analysts say might damage the US president politically.
Even earlier than the conflict, polls performed in March and April confirmed rising disapproval of Trump amongst American Catholics, a warning signal after he gained a majority of Catholic voters within the 2024 election.
Cuba is one other possible matter of dialogue within the talks on the Vatican.
The Holy See has lengthy performed an lively function in diplomacy on Cuba, the place Rubio – a Cuban-American – has been main the Trump administration’s efforts to pile stress on the communist authorities.
Rubio requested the assembly with Meloni, an Italian authorities supply informed AFP on Sunday. That’s scheduled for Friday morning.
The far-right Italian chief has been certainly one of Trump’s closest European allies, however the president criticised her as missing braveness after she defended the pope.
Trump has additionally threatened to tug US troops from Italy, saying Rome “has not been of any assist to us” within the Iran struggle.
The pope and Rubio beforehand met on the Vatican with US Vice President JD Vance simply days after Leo’s election.
