There was certainly a lot on the agenda when Pope Leo XIV recently met with Marco Rubio: the pontiff sharing the message of the gospel; the U.S. secretary of State, a Catholic, trying his best, no doubt, to make peace after the American president dragged the pope into a back-and-forth on war and peace.
And, by official accounts, it went well.
They met “to discuss the situation in the Middle East and topics of mutual interest in the Western Hemisphere,” according to the State Department. “The meeting underscored the strong relationship between the United States and the Holy See and their shared commitment to promoting peace and human dignity.”
Human dignity.
I didn’t hear whether the conversation ever turned to the Trump administration’s recent pledge to ramp up executions for those who’ve received the death penalty after being convicted of federal crimes, a move signaled by Donald Trump on his first day back in office.
