Rubio Meets Pope Leo at Vatican Amid Ongoing Trump-Pope Feud

TL;DR: The meeting between US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Pope Leo XIV took place, marking the first encounter between the pope and a Trump administration official in almost a year. Pope Leo reiterated that the Catholic Church considers nuclear weapons immoral and denied supporting them.

Claim 1: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrived at the Vatican to meet Pope Leo XIV.

Evidence: NBC News reported Rubio was set to meet Pope Leo at the Vatican on Thursday. The New York Post noted Rubio arrived for an audience with Pope Leo XIV. MSN cited that Rubio will sit down with Pope Leo XIV in Vatican City.

Verdict: True.

Analysis: All sources consistently reported Rubio’s arrival and meeting; no contradictory evidence emerged.

Claim 2: The meeting is the first known meeting between the pope and a Trump administration official in nearly a year.

Evidence: NBC News said the closed-door meeting will be the first between the head of the Catholic Church and a Trump cabinet official in nearly a year. MSN noted it will be the first between the pope and a Trump-era official in almost a year.

Verdict: True.

Analysis: Both outlets explicitly label the audience as the first such encounter in roughly a year, with no source disputing this.

Claim 3: Pope Leo XIV denied supporting nuclear weapons, stating that the Catholic Church teaches that nuclear arms are immoral.

Evidence: The New York Post recorded Pope Leo saying the Church has spoken out against all nuclear arms and that there is “no doubt” about its immorality. NBC News noted that Trump falsely suggested the pope thought Iran obtaining nuclear weapons was acceptable, and that the pope denied supporting nuclear weapons.

Verdict: True.

Analysis: Sources directly quote the pope rejecting nuclear weapons and affirming the Church’s moral stance; no contradictory statements were found.

Watch for any follow‑up statements from the Vatican or the Trump administration regarding nuclear policy and diplomatic relations.