Pope ⁠Leo said on ​Tuesday said he is ‌hoping to spread ‌the ⁠Christian ⁠message by speaking about peace but ​that people are free to criticize ​him, following the latest ⁠attack on ⁠the pontiff ⁠by ​U.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio is set to meet Pope Leo XIV, the first such meeting since President Trump criticized the pontiff.

In an interview, Trump said the pope is helping Iran and also making the world less safe with his comments about the importance of not treating immigrants with disrespect.

U.S. ⁠Secretary of State ​Marco Rubio's meeting ‌with Pope Leo ‌on ⁠Thursday ⁠will include a "frank conversation" about Trump administration ​policies, the U.S. ambassador to ​the Holy See said ⁠on Tuesday.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Tuesday (May 5) that the timing of his upcoming visit to the Vatican is not tied to a rift between President Donald Trump and Pope Leo, and that it was "planned from before.

Pope Leo XIV said the Catholic Church “for years has spoken out against all nuclear weapons, so there is no doubt there.”

The secretary of state will travel to Italy this week, the State Department said. Observers view the trip as an attempt to patch up ties with the Vatican and Italy.

Trump lashed out at the pope for condemning the conflict in the Middle East, as his secretary of state heads to the Vatican.