Secretary Rubio's Meetings With Holy See Secretary Of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, And Cardinal Matteo Zuppi

The below is attributable to Spokesperson Tammy Bruce: 

Secretary of State Marco Rubio met today with Holy See Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin and Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, Secretary for Relations with States, to express heartfelt congratulations on behalf of the United States ahead of the inauguration of His Holiness Pope Leo XIV.  They reaffirmed the strong partnership between the United States and the Holy See and discussed our shared commitment to ending the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East.  The United States stands firm in support of freedom of religion and the Secretary looks forward to working with the Holy See to protect these rights globally. 

Secretary Rubio also met with Cardinal Zuppi to discuss the urgent need to end the Russia-Ukraine war.  The Secretary expressed appreciation for the Vatican’s important humanitarian role, including facilitating prisoner exchanges and the return of forcibly transferred Ukrainian children.  He emphasized the importance of continued collaboration under the new leadership of Pope Leo XIV.