VATICAN, May 6. /TASS/. Pope Leo XIV is not inclined to link the visit of US Secretary of State Marco Rubio to "today’s issues" and expressed hope for "good dialogue."
Rubio is expected at the Vatican on May 7 for an audience with the head of the Roman Catholic Church. According to protocol, after the conversation with the pontiff, negotiations take place in the Vatican’s Secretariat of State.
"I hope for good dialogue, approached with trust and openness, so as to understand one another well. I think the issues he is coming for are not today’s issues," the pontiff told journalists as quoted by Radio-1.
Earlier, the US president again criticized Pope Leo XIV, stating that he is "endangering a lot of Catholics" because he allegedly does not object to Iran having nuclear weapons. The US leader also spoke out against a number of European leaders, including Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni in a similar manner, accusing them of thinking that "it's OK for Iran to have a nuclear weapon" because they did not provide assistance to the US in the military operation against the Islamic Republic.
In recent weeks, Pope Leo XIV has delivered a series of strong anti-war sermons that have been seen as criticism of the US administration’s actions in the Middle East. On April 13, following his remarks, US President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social that the pontiff "is weak on crime and terrible on foreign policy." According to Trump, had it not been for his presidency, an American would not have been elected pope.
Consequently, the pope expressed his lack of intention to engage in dialogue with the US leader or stop his anti-war sermons.
Regarding "nuclear weapons," Leo XIV reiterated that the Holy See has always opposed all forms of weaponry.