US Secretary of State Marco Rubio visited Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican on 7/5. The visit occurred amid escalating tensions between President Donald Trump and the Pope over the Iran conflict.
Rubio presented the Pope with a palm-sized crystal paperweight shaped like a rugby ball. "I know you are a baseball fan, but this ball has the US Department of State logo, so what do you give someone who has everything? I thought a crystal rugby ball would be better," the Secretary of State said.
The Pope, a Chicago native and known White Sox baseball fan, replied, "Oh, alright."
Pope Leo XIV and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio exchanged gifts at the Vatican on 7/5. *Video: Vatican News*
The Pope presented the US Secretary of State with a pen crafted from olive wood, engraved with the papal crest, adding that it is "a tree symbolizing peace."
The Vatican stated that the two sides exchanged views on current affairs, "with particular attention to countries ravaged by war, political tension, and humanitarian crises, as well as the need for continuous efforts towards peace."
The two sides "reaffirmed their shared commitment to fostering good bilateral relations between the Holy See and the US," the Vatican statement read.
A US Department of State spokesperson said Rubio's visit to the Vatican, lasting nearly three hours, demonstrated the "strong" relationship between the two sides.
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Pope Leo XIV received US Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the Vatican on 7/5. *Photo: Vatican Media*
Vatican observers interpreted the timing of the visit as an effort to de-escalate tensions following weeks of sharp exchanges between President Trump and the Pope.
After the Pope expressed opposition to US and Israeli operations targeting Iran, President Trump criticized the Pope as "weak on crime" and accused him of "condoning Iran's nuclear weapons ambitions."
"I think he is putting a lot of Catholics and many people in danger," Trump said.
In response, the Pope declared he was "not afraid of the Trump administration" and would continue to speak for peace, a rare instance of directly naming a US presidential administration. He also affirmed that the Church has consistently opposed all types of nuclear weapons for many years.
By Hong Hanh (USA Today, Daily Beast)
