Foreign Affairs Minister Joe Rajji welcomed by the Vatican's Secretary of State, Pietro Parolin, on May 12, 2026. (Photo taken from Rajji's X account)
The Vatican no longer seems willing to limit itself to the provision of humanitarian aid to Lebanon. It may well step up its efforts with the United States to press for a halt to Israel’s war and establish a lasting cease-fire, in parallel with the direct negotiations between Beirut and Tel Aviv set to begin on Thursday in Washington.This is the key takeaway from Rajji’s visit to the Holy See on Sunday and Monday. The visit came after the “reconciliation” between U.S.-born Pope Leo XIV and the Trump administration after the two sides clashed over the Iran war. Read our special investigation Under Rmeish's almond tree: How a Hezbollah fighter ended in Israeli captivity Rajji traveled to Rome shortly after U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Pope Leo XIV a few days ago in an effort to ease tensions between the Vatican and...
The Vatican no longer seems willing to limit itself to the provision of humanitarian aid to Lebanon. It may well step up its efforts with the United States to press for a halt to Israel’s war and establish a lasting cease-fire, in parallel with the direct negotiations between Beirut and Tel Aviv set to begin on Thursday in Washington.This is the key takeaway from Rajji’s visit to the Holy See on Sunday and Monday. The visit came after the “reconciliation” between U.S.-born Pope Leo XIV and the Trump administration after the two sides clashed over the Iran war. Read our special investigation Under Rmeish's almond tree: How a Hezbollah fighter ended in Israeli captivity Rajji traveled to Rome shortly after U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Pope Leo XIV a few days ago in an effort to ease tensions between the Vatican...
Rubio condemns Iran's 'outrageous' attacks on Kuwait
