The Pope gave Marco Rubio an olive branch as a gift. But could only say ‘Wow OK’ when he saw what the US brought him

A celebratory moment between U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and American-born Pope Leo quickly became awkward Thursday when the Pontiff seemed at a loss for words.

While standing in the pontiff’s private library overlooking St. Peter’s Basilica, the pair engaged in the time-honored diplomatic tradition of swapping gifts.

Leo presented Rubio with an olive branch encased in wood and emblazoned with the pontificate’s coat of arms, describing it as “the plant of peace.” It seemed to be a not-so-subtle nod to his rift with President Donald Trump over the Iran war. When it was his turn, the secretary of state handed the Bishop of Rome something a touch more whimsical: a palm-sized crystal football.

Betraying little emotion, Leo simply responded: “Wow, OK.”

“What to get someone who has everything, I thought,” Rubio said, while clutching the small sporting keepsake.

open image in gallery

The episode evoked past misfires in diplomatic gift-giving, like Barack Obama’s iPod to Queen Elizabeth or Hillary Clinton’s “reset” button to Russia’s foreign minister — which was mistranslated as “overcharge.”

Rubio and Leo’s sit-down took place behind closed doors, but a State Department spokesperson said they discussed “mutual cooperation and pressing international issues,” “advancing religious freedom” and “efforts to achieve a durable peace in the Middle East.”

When asked by reporters whether the visit sought to mend fences with the pope, Rubio, a practicing Catholic, said it was planned well in advance. But, he added, “obviously we had some stuff that happened.”

The Vatican was more forthcoming about the reason for the meeting. “This visit was born out of a crisis, and is designed to manage its fallout,” senior Vatican official Antonio Spadaro told Politico.

The crisis Spadaro spoke of likely alluded to the prolonged and fiery back‑and‑forth between Trump and Leo, the first U.S.-born pope, over the ongoing war in Iran.

open image in gallery

open image in gallery

Since the Iran conflict began in late February, the pontiff has repeatedly condemned it, claiming it was triggered by a “delusion of omnipotence.”

In March, he wrote on X that God “does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war, but rejects them.” In April, he called Trump’s threat to wipe out an entire civilization “truly unacceptable.”

In response, Trump has repeatedly launched direct attacks against Leo on several occasions. In an April Truth Social post, the Republican president derided Leo as “terrible” on foreign policy. “I don’t want a Pope who thinks it’s OK for Iran to have a Nuclear Weapon.”

“I like his brother Louis much better than I like him, because Louis is all MAGA,” Trump continued. “He gets it, and Leo doesn’t!”

During an interview on Tuesday, Trump reignited his feud, accusing Leo of “endangering a lot of Catholics” as a result of his views about the war.

The pope has said he has “no fear of the Trump administration” and has stressed he does not want to debate the American president.

Forty-eight percent of Americans agree more with Leo about the war in Iran, while 28 percent agree more with Trump, according to an April YouGov survey.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies