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RUBIO VISITS POPE LEO XIV: TRUMP SENDS HIS CATHOLIC ENVOY TO THE VATICAN TO 'THAW' A GEOPOLITICAL FEUD
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Le Monde and France 24 read Rubio's visit as a diplomatic concession: if Trump were in a position of strength, he would not need to send his Secretary of State to make amends to a religious institution. Paris sees in Pope Leo a moral voice that Trump cannot afford to alienate indefinitely
Dominant angle identified — does not reflect unanimity of this country’s media
Le Monde reconstructs the conflict cascade: Leo XIV's Iran war criticism, Trump's social media attack on the pope, Meloni defending the pope, Trump attacking Meloni — a diplomatic cascade exposing Washington's moral isolation in the Catholic world. French commentary carries intellectual satisfaction: Trump, who built part of his political image on Christian values and alliance with traditional Catholics, finds himself in open conflict with the head of the Catholic Church. France 24 notes the Rubio-Pope meeting will be the first formal encounter between a senior American official and Leo XIV since his election.
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