As the hundredth day of the pontificate of Pope Leo XIV, the Secretary of State of the United States, Marco Rubio, said that this country and the Vatican have “a good relationship, but is new.” He explained: “A new papacy” brings “a new address.”
Interviewed On Thursday in “The World Over With Raymond Arroyo” by Ewtn, Rubio explained that the first American Pope can benefit the relations between the United States and the Vatican, because the Pope can understand the “history, our politics, our culture, (and) what is happening here” in the United States.
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Rubio commented that, when interacting previously with leaders of the Catholic Church, these were “almost invariably from another country.” So, when he was in Rome for the installation of Pope Leo XIV, Rubio said he was “almost surreal” to “interact with an American.”
“Right now is something new and the papacy has been there for less than 100 days,” said Rubio. But there has already been “good communication” between the United States and the Vatican, specifically on the Catholic Church attacked in Gaza, he said. After the bombing, Rubio indicated that the United States spoke with the church “extensively on Gaza” and “to facilitate visits.”
“I am speculating … but I think one of the things that the cardinals probably sought was someone who could provide a period of stability and coherence while the Church faces a myriad of challenges worldwide,” said the main American diplomat. Someone who can “approach areas where the Church is growing, but also revitalize the Church in some places where it is perhaps having difficulties.”
“I know they are deeply worried, for example, because the Church is being strongly persecuted in Nicaragua,” Rubio explained. “They are always worried about the Church in China, which has been a point of friction with the United States government in the past.”
“I think that the Vatican can play a very key role in many parts of the world. In fact, they are very diplomatically skilled. In the end, their number one target has to be … the church and its presence in different places.”
The Vatican has “offered to get involved in everything you can” in regards to “achieve peace as a forum or as a facilitator,” said Rubio.
Translated and adapted by the ACI Press team. Originally published in CNA.
Tessa Gervasini
Tesa Gervasini is a intern of Catholic News Agency and member of College Fix. Recently he graduated from the Texas Christian University with a degree in strategic communication.