U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has confirmed an upcoming visit to the Vatican, during which he plans to meet with Pope Leo. This was reported by CNN, according to UNN.
Details
During a press conference, Rubio was asked if his trip is an attempt to mend relations following critical statements made by U.S. President Donald Trump regarding the pontiff.
"No. This is a trip we had planned previously, and obviously, some things have happened... we have much to discuss with the Vatican,"
Conflict escalated due to Trump's statements about the Pope
In recent weeks, Trump has repeatedly made critical remarks regarding Pope Leo, the first pontiff from the United States. This has sparked a negative reaction among Christian leaders.
In particular, in one interview, he stated that "the Pope would rather talk about how it's okay for Iran to have nuclear weapons, and I don't think that's very good."
In response, Pope Leo emphasized that the Church's position has nothing to do with supporting nuclear weapons.
The pontiff also explicitly rejected suggestions of supporting nuclear armament, stressing that the Catholic Church considers it immoral.