May 7 (UPI) -- U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio met Thursday with Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican, a moment of diplomacy in the wake of President Donald Trump's repeated attacks on the Catholic leader.

The State Department said US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will meet Pope Leo XIV to discuss the situation in the Middle East, following criticism from US President Donald Trump over the pope’s stance on the war.

The State Department said US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will meet Pope Leo XIV to discuss the situation in the Middle East, following criticism from US President Donald Trump over the pope’s stance on the war.