Secretary of State Marco Rubio is traveling to Rome and Vatican City as Washington works to ease tensions with Pope Leo XIV over U.S. policy on Iran. The visit comes as global concerns over the Strait of Hormuz and Middle East instability remain high.
Panama will soon welcome a new apostolic nuncio after Monsignor Dagoberto Campos is transferred to Ecuador. He will remain in Panama for about six more weeks during the transition.
President Trump has publicly attacked Pope Leo XIV after the pontiff criticized the U.S. and Israeli war with Iran. The rare clash underscores rising tensions over the conflict and the Vatican’s role in calling for peace.
Pope Leo condemned the “delusion of omnipotence” fueling the US-Israel war on Iran and called on leaders to choose negotiations as talks began in Pakistan. His warning comes as a fragile ceasefire holds and global tensions remain high.
Pope Leo XIV condemned the “delusion of omnipotence” he says is driving the U.S.-Israel war in Iran and called on leaders to negotiate peace. His remarks add moral pressure as fears grow of a broader regional conflict.
The White House responded to Pope Leo’s anti-war remarks by emphasizing that U.S. leaders and troops have long turned to prayer in difficult times. The exchange highlights the global influence of papal statements on war and peace.
The Vatican has expressed regret to Israel’s ambassador over the closure of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, which Israel says was justified on security grounds. The decision comes amid the wider war in the Middle East.
The Vatican said it regretted Israel’s decision to block Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa from Palm Sunday Mass at the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. Israeli authorities later reversed the move after international criticism.
Pope Leo XIV marked his first Palm Sunday with a powerful appeal for peace, urging people to reject weapons and remember they are brothers. His homily opened Holy Week with a strong focus on war, suffering, and reconciliation.
Pope Leo XIV urged Monaco’s wealthy residents to use their resources for the common good and to reject what he called an “idolatry” of power and money that he links to wars. His one-day visit makes him the first pope to travel to Monaco since 1538.
Pope Leo is traveling to Monaco for his first Western Europe trip as pope, bringing a pro-poor message to a principality famous for luxury and wealth. The US-born pontiff will arrive by helicopter for a one-day visit to Monte Carlo.
