Pope Leo XIV meets U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the Vatican, May 7, 2026. Vatican Media/Simone Risoluti/Handout via Reuters
During a time of considerable tensions between U.S. President Donald Trump and Pope Leo the 14th, Secretary of State Marco Rubio visited the Vatican on Thursday morning, May 7 and met with the Pope — who has been an outspoken critic of Trump's war against Iran. State Department spokesman Tommy Piggott told the New York Times that Rubio and Pope Leo discussed "the situation in the Middle East and topics of mutual interest in the Western Hemisphere."
According to Democratic insider Christopher Hale — who focused on Catholic outreach for former President Barack Obama's 2012 reelection campaign and now publishes Letters From Leo — Rubio had a gift for Leo: a small crystal football.
Hale, in a May 7 thread for X, formerly Twitter, explained, "Pope Leo XIV gifted Marco Rubio a plant of peace. In return, Marco Rubio gave the pope a crystal football. The pope's response? 'Wow. Okay.'"
Hale, in his biting but humorous thread, posted video of Rubio's meeting with the Pope. The crystal gift was a replica of an American-style football, not a soccer ball.
Hale found Rubio's gift odd, commenting, "Why in God's name did Marco Rubio give the pope a crystal football?.... I'm dedicating myself to ensuring the next Democratic president gives Leo XIV a thoughtful, tasteful, and relevant gift."
Chicago native Robert Francis Prevost, AKA Pope Leo the 14th, is the first American pope in the history of the Catholic church. After Trump ordered military strikes against Iran in late February, Pope Leo voiced strong criticism of the operation.
Pope Leo XIV has emerged as a significant moral voice in global affairs since his election in 2024.
The Chicago-born pontiff, whose given name is Robert Francis Prevost, made history as the first American pope. His papacy has been marked by vocal advocacy for peaceful diplomacy and humanitarian concerns, particularly regarding U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East. Following Trump's February military strikes against Iran, Pope Leo publicly condemned the escalation, citing Catholic teaching on just war theory and the sanctity of human life.
The Vatican under his leadership has increasingly positioned itself as an independent voice critical of unilateral military action, straining the traditionally close relationship between the American presidency and the Holy See that many conservative Catholics had cultivated.
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