Is an American pope still an American citizen?

Washington (RNS) – When it was announced that Pope Leo XIV would be the first pope born in the United States, Catholics across the country were surprised and many were delighted. For years, the Vatican observers had rejected the idea that the cardinals elect a pope of the United States, assuming that prelates would avoid entanglement of the bishop of Rome with the policy of a superpower.

But can a political question quickly appeared: can a seated pope vote in the American elections, and is he still an American citizen?

The short answer: he can probably still vote, for the moment, and is probably still a citizen unless he takes measures to change this.

The lion born in Chicago, formerly Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, voted in the previous elections – he made ballots in the Democratic and Republican primaries of Illinois (where you do not have to register for a party), most often the latter. According to Matt Dietrich, spokesperson for the Illinois Elections Council, Pope Leo voted last year.

“He is always an active voter in Will, Illinois, and he voted in November 2024 – a vote by mail,” said Dietrich about Leo, who lives in Rome in the past two years while he occupied the roles of the Vatican, more recently the chief of the dicastery for bishops. Dietrich added that Leo, before starting to vote in the county of Will, was previously recorded in the county of Cook nearby, which contains Chicago.

The question of whether the Pope can vote in the next Illinois elections is more complicated. From the point of view of Illinois Board of Elections, said Dietrich, the most immediate question is his residence.

“As long as (Leo) retains his speech on Illinois,” said Dietrich, “he can continue to do so.”

And Dietrich added that even if Pope Leo's residence changes, his ability to vote in the federal elections is probably protected by the law on voting by citizens in uniform and abroad.

But Pope Leo can only vote if he is an American citizen. Voting as a double citizen is not uncommon – Pope Leo also holds citizenship in Peru, where he has served for many years. Being raised to the Pope, who is head of state for the Vatican, actually dissolves his American citizenship?

According to Amanda Frost, professor at the School of Law at the University of Virginie in Charlottesville, the answer is no.

“Under the decision of the Supreme Court in 1967 in Afroim v. Rusk, a citizen cannot lose his citizenship without choosing intentionally and voluntarily to expatriate,” said Frost in an email. “Taking a high -level political position in another (government) can create questions about the question of whether the intention to keep its American nationality, and the State Department can start an investigation concerning the citizenship of this person. But the individual can keep his citizenship unless he expressly chooses to abandon him. ”

The RNS contacted the White House to wonder if the government has initiated such an investigation but has not yet heard. A spokesman for the Ministry of Justice said that the agency “devoured the DHS for questions about citizenship”.

When the RNS contacted the Ministry of Internal Security, the agency cited a spokesperson for the State Department, saying: “As a rule, we do not start the status of American citizenship of individuals.”

Whether Pope Leo decides to continue to vote in the United States – or even finally give up his American citizenship – is another question. But he could probably vote if he chooses it – at least for the moment.

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