Pope Leo, after Rubio meeting, asks God to inspire leaders to calm tensions
Pope Leo’s Anniversary Address and Diplomatic Efforts
By Guglielmo Mangiapane and Joshua McElwee
Pope Leo’s Call for Peace
POMPEI, Italy, May 8 (Reuters) - Pope Leo asked that God would inspire world leaders to calm global tensions and reduce hatred in an address to mark his first anniversary as head of the Catholic Church, a day after he met U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the Vatican.
Appeal to Worshippers
Leo, who has drawn the ire of U.S. President Donald Trump after criticizing the Iran war, asked worshippers on Friday to pray that global governments would turn away from violence.
Visit to Pompei
In a visit to Pompei, a modern city about 245 km (152 miles) south of Rome near the famed ruins of a volcanic eruption, the pope said he would join their prayers that God would begin "touching hearts, calming rancour and fratricidal hatreds, and enlightening those who have special responsibilities of government".
Diplomatic Relations and Tensions
Meeting with Marco Rubio
Leo, the first U.S. pope, held talks with Rubio on Thursday in an atmosphere of tension with Washington as Trump has repeatedly disparaged the pontiff on social media.
Vatican and U.S. Statements
The Vatican said afterwards that the two had pledged to improve their bilateral relations, in what insiders said was an unusual recognition of unprecedented tensions.
The U.S. embassy to the Holy See said on X after the meeting that Leo and Rubio had discussed "topics of mutual interest in the Western Hemisphere".
Pope Leo’s Background and Recent Actions
Election and Early Papacy
Leo, the former Cardinal Robert Prevost, was elected by the world's cardinals to succeed the late Pope Francis as leader of the 1.4-billion-member Church on May 8, 2025.
Advocacy for Peace
Prevost, who spent decades as a missionary and a bishop in Peru before becoming pope, kept a relatively low profile in his first 10 months but has been speaking forcefully against war and despotism in recent weeks.
Message in Pompei
In his message to thousands in Pompei's main square on Friday, the pontiff lamented that world peace is "endangered by international tensions and by an economy that prefers the arms trade to respect for human life".
He urged people not to become accustomed to war.
"We cannot resign ourselves to the images of death that the news shows us every day," said Leo.
Visit to Naples
In a later visit on Friday to Naples, Italy's third-largest city, the pope praised initiatives by groups there to welcome refugees coming to Italy from Gaza.
Leo urged Neapolitans to "continue to give voice ... to a culture of peace, countering the logic of confrontation and the force of arms as the presumed solution to conflicts."
Reporting Credits
(Reporting by Guglielmo Mangiapane in Pompei and Joshua McElwee in Vatican City; Editing by Barbara Lewis and Andrew Heavens)
