US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has arrived at the Vatican to meet Pope Leo XIV seeking to ease tensions between the US and the Vatican while also promoting President Donald Trump's interests.
He is in Rome just weeks after President Trump's extraordinary criticism of Leo, the first US pope, over his anti-war stance.
Mr Rubio, a devout Catholic, sought to play down the rift ahead of the private audience, which will be followed by talks with Vatican Secretary of State Pietro Parolin.
For the Vatican's part, "we'll listen to him", Cardinal Parolin told reporters, noting that the US initiated the meeting.
The Trump administration had celebrated the election of Leo, but its relations with the Holy See have since sharply deteriorated.
In an unprecedented attack, Mr Trump last month took to social media to call the pope "weak on crime, and terrible for foreign policy".
His remarks came after Leo called for peace in the Middle East war launched by Israel and the United States, and condemned a threat by Trump to destroy Iranian civilisation as "truly unacceptable".
Before flying to Rome, Mr Rubio said the trip had been planned before the clash, "and obviously we had some stuff that happened".
"There's a lot to talk about with the Vatican," he told reporters at the White House, noting particularly the issue of religious freedom, on which the Vatican and the US agree.
At an event at the Vatican, Cardinal Parolin said: "I imagine we'll talk about everything that's happened in recent days, we can't avoid touching on these topics."
But he said they would also discuss international issues, including Latin America, Cuba and Lebanon.
The Holy See has long played an active role in Cuban diplomacy, while Mr Rubio, a Cuban-American, has led the Trump administration's efforts to pressure the communist government.
Watch: Pope Leo says he will continue to speak out against war
Pope Leo also knows Latin America well, having spent two decades as a missionary in Peru, even acquiring Peruvian citizenship.
Despite the peace-making attempt, Mr Trump again criticised the pope in an interview late on Monday, alleging that the pontiff believes it is "OK for Iran to have a nuclear weapon".
"I think he's endangering a lot of Catholics and a lot of people," President Trump said of the pope.
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Asked about the latest comments on Tuesday, Pope Leo said that the Catholic Church's mission was to "preach peace" and the Gospel.
"If anyone wishes to criticise me for proclaiming the Gospel, let them do so truthfully," he told reporters.
"The Church has spoken out against all nuclear weapons for years, so there is no doubt about that, and I simply hope to be heard for the sake of the value of God's word."
Cardinal Parolin said that attacking the pope "seems a little strange to me", adding: "The pope is being the pope."
Pope Leo's nationality means his words carry more weight in the US than those of his predecessors, and he has used them, notably criticising the Trump administration's crackdown on immigration.
But it was the pontiff's increasing anti-war rhetoric that triggered Mr Trump's ire.
Pope Leo and Mr Rubio met for the first time last year at the Vatican alongside US Vice President JD Vance, a Catholic convert, just days after Leo's election.
