Secretary of State Marco Rubio performed the ultimate act of diplomatic dexterity — he rescued the relationship between the president and the pope.

Since the war with Iran broke out, the relationship between the White House and the Vatican turned turbulent when Pope Leo XIV called for an end to the war and President Donald Trump fired back, beginning a lengthy screed against the pontiff with the words, “Pope Leo is WEAK on Crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy.”

Rubio met with the pope Thursday in an effort to smooth things over — and the talk with the pope appears to have accomplished its purpose.

“Marco Rubio’s been given the assignment to go to the Vatican and try to clean up relations,” former ambassador to the Holy See Joe Donnelly told POLITICO.

The diplomat posted briefly about the meeting on X.

“Met with [the] Pontifex to underscore our shared commitment to promoting peace and human dignity,” he wrote. “Pontifex” is the Latin word for “pope.”

The Vatican welcomed the reset in relations, saying in a statement that “the shared commitment to fostering good bilateral relations between the Holy See and the United States of America was reaffirmed.”

The Holy See (the office of the pope) said that the pontiff and the secretary of state discussed “difficult humanitarian situations, as well as … the need to work tirelessly for peace.”

The two leaders exchanged gifts. Rubio presented the pope with a football paperweight, representing the spiritual leader’s fondness for football.

“What to get someone who has everything? I thought a crystal football,” Rubio told the pope as he presented him with the gift.

Rubio, a practicing Catholic, received in turn a pen made from olivewood — the pope took the opportunity to extend a literal olive branch, the universal symbol of peace, to the U.S.

Speaking to reporters, Rubio denied that the trip’s aim was to reset the relationship, saying, “It’s a trip we had planned from before.”