Rubio and Pope Leo discuss areas of disagreement after weeks of tensions with Trump | CNN Politics

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio held a meeting with Pope Leo XIV on Thursday where the two discussed the issues of disagreement, including the Iran war, that have contributed to a historic period of tension between Washington and the Vatican. Prior to the meeting, Rubio had dismissed the notion he was attempting to reset diplomatic relations with the Vatican after President Donald Trump’s extraordinary criticisms of the first North American pope in the Catholic Church’s 2,000-year history. Trump had repeatedly attacked the pontiff for his disapproval of the US war against Iran. Leo has also continued to speak for the interests of refugees and migrants, in sharp contrast to the Trump administration and its immigration crackdown. Rubio and the pope met for more than 45 minutes, Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said. Rubio was inside the Apostolic Palace, the official residence of the pope, for more than two hours, according to the press pool on the ground. The pope usually meets with heads of state or government, so it was a significant diplomatic gesture that he met formally with Rubio. However, it was clear that the strained relationship – and the pope’s continued oppositio