In a diplomatic move that has the energy of a teenager being sent to apologize while their parent waits in the car still fuming, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is heading to the Vatican for a sit-down with Pope Leo - even as President Donald Trump continues to take shots at the Catholic leader.
What is actually going on here?
According to a report by DW, the Rubio visit comes amid ongoing tension between the Trump administration and Pope Leo, who has been openly critical of the US over its military confrontation with Iran. Trump, never one to let a grudge simmer quietly, has continued to disparage the Pope publicly - making Rubio's Vatican trip feel less like a diplomatic olive branch and more like a bouquet of flowers with a note that reads "my boss still thinks you're wrong, but here I am."
Rubio himself is a practicing Catholic, which adds a delicious layer of complexity to the whole affair. Imagine being sent to politely manage relations with the literal leader of your own faith on behalf of someone currently beefing with that leader. The man deserves hazard pay.
The Iran context
Pope Leo's criticism centers on the US military action against Iran - a conflict that has drawn scrutiny from religious and world leaders alike. The Vatican has historically played the role of moral megaphone on issues of war and peace, and Pope Leo appears to be very much continuing that tradition, much to Washington's irritation.
Trump's public disparagement of the Pope over this criticism is what makes the Rubio visit particularly eyebrow-raising. Sending your top diplomat to a leader your boss is actively dunking on is... a choice.
Reading the diplomatic tea leaves
There are a few ways to read this meeting. Either the Trump administration wants to preserve some working relationship with the Holy See despite the president's personal feelings, or Rubio is genuinely attempting to carve out his own lane in US-Vatican relations. Either way, it signals that even this White House recognizes the Vatican is not an institution you can simply ghost.
No official readout of the meeting has been published yet, and it remains to be seen whether the visit produces any meaningful diplomatic thaw - or whether Trump fires off a social media post about the Pope on the same day Rubio is shaking hands in Vatican City.
Stranger things have happened. Recently, frequently.
Source: DW
