US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has denied that President Donald Trump accused Pope Leo XIV of “putting Catholics at risk” over his stance on the Iran war, saying his earlier comments were misinterpreted.
“Well, I don’t think that’s an accurate description of what he said,” Rubio told reporters Tuesday when asked about Trump’s comment that the pope “puts a lot of Catholics at risk.”
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Rubio said the president’s concerns are rooted in the threat Iran could pose to “areas that are predominantly Catholic, Christian, etc.” and questioned why “everyone thinks it’s a good idea for Iran to have nuclear weapons.”
He also pointed to rising tensions in the Strait of Hormuz, accusing the Iranian government of “holding the whole world hostage” and endangering commercial shipping.
Trump had earlier criticized the pope for comments he made to right-wing radio host Hugh Hewitt, suggesting the pope was too soft on Iran.
“The Pope would rather talk about the fact that it’s OK for Iran to have nuclear weapons, and I don’t think that’s a very good thing,” Trump said.
“I think he’s putting a lot of Catholics and a lot of people at risk, but I think he thinks it’s OK for Iran to have nuclear weapons if it’s up to the Pope,” he added.
The exchange came ahead of a meeting between Rubio and Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican on Thursday, with the US ambassador to Rome saying he expected a “candid” meeting, highlighting tensions between Washington and the Catholic Church.
Ambassador Brian Birch said Tuesday that “countries have differences of opinion and one way to resolve them is through dialogue.”
“I think the secretary is here in the spirit of having a frank discussion and dialogue about U.S. policy,” he added.
The Pope has not said Iran should have nuclear weapons, but President Trump has opposed war, saying the goal is to stop Iran’s nuclear program.
War of words between Trump and Pope Leo
Tensions between President Trump and Pope Leo began in March when the pope opposed the Iran war and criticized his use of Christian rhetoric to justify military action.
The controversy escalated in April when President Trump attacked the pope on social media, calling him “soft on crime” and accusing him of working with the “radical left.”
Pope Leo later responded during a visit to Algeria, saying he would not be afraid and would continue to speak out against the war.
“I will continue to oppose war, seek to promote peace, promote dialogue between nations and multilateral relations, and continue to seek solutions to problems,” he said in English.
“Too many people are suffering in the world today. Too many innocent people are being killed. And I think someone has to stand up and say there’s a better way.”
Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican’s top diplomat, said he did not know whether Leo would respond to Trump’s recent comments.
“The Pope will go his own way in terms of preaching the Gospel (and peace),” Vatican Secretary of State Parolin told reporters. He said Leo would talk about peace at every opportunity, “both when it’s convenient and when it’s inconvenient.”
Rubio is also scheduled to meet on Friday with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who defended the pope and said the war in Iran endangers American leadership.
The pope also criticized the Trump administration’s hardline immigration policies and called for dialogue between the United States and Cuba, which faces frequent power outages related to U.S. sanctions.
