The U.S. Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, will travel to the Vatican and Italy next week for diplomatic meetings. The visit comes after Donald Trump called the Pope "horrible".

Marco Rubio, the U.S. Secretary of State, will make a visit to the Vatican and Italy next week, according to reports from the Italian newspapers La Repubblica and Corriere della Sera. Although it is unclear whether he will meet with the pope, Rubio will discuss with Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican's chief diplomatic official. This visit comes after President Trump criticized both Pope Leo XIV and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, straining relations between the U.S. and Italy. Rubio will also hold discussions with Italian ministers, aiming to ease the tensions generated by Trump's criticisms. The visit occurs in the context of the withdrawal of 5,000 American soldiers from Germany and tensions related to the war in Iran. Italy has a significant American military presence, with nearly 13,000 active soldiers. So far, the State Department and Italian officials have not commented on this information.