WASHINGTON- U.S. Secretary Of State Marco Rubio will travel to Rome from Wednesday to Friday to advance relations with Italy and the Vatican, a State Department spokesperson said on Monday, after recent criticism of the pope by President Donald Trump.

Rubio will meet with Holy See leadership to discuss the situation in the Middle East and mutual interests in the Western Hemisphere, while his meetings with Italian counterparts will be focused on shared security interests and strategic alignment, State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said in a statement Monday.

The meeting with Pope Leo will be the first known in-person encounter between Leo and a U.S. cabinet official in nearly a year, and is expected to take place on Thursday, a source familiar with the plans told Reuters on Sunday.

The pope emerged in recent weeks as an outspoken critic of the U.S.-Israeli led war with Iran, after previously criticizing the Trump administration's anti-immigration policies.

Trump sharply criticized Leo on social media several times in April, at one point calling the pontiff "terrible," in attacks that drew widespread attention while Leo was on a four-nation Africa tour.

Trump has also expressed unhappiness with Italy over its criticism of the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran, and said last week that he may consider pulling out U.S. troops from the NATO ally.

(Reporting by Doina Chiacu and Ismail Shakil; Editing by Doina Chiacu)