Pope Leo XIV, born Robert Prevost in Chicago in 1955, has made history as the first U.S.-born leader of the Catholic Church. His election places him in a unique position, as he is both an American citizen and the head of a foreign state, leading the Catholic Church and Vatican City, the world’s smallest nation.
Vatican City, which spans just 0.17 square miles, was established as a sovereign entity in 1929 through a treaty with Italy, making it fully independent. With a population of only a few hundred, the Vatican’s governance is intertwined with its religious authority.
The legal implications of maintaining U.S. citizenship while serving as a foreign head of state raise important questions. The U.S. State Department indicates that Americans working for foreign governments are not automatically at risk of losing their citizenship.
However, they may review cases involving individuals who serve as foreign heads of state or government due to potential conflicts with U.S. law. The State Department refrains from commenting on individual cases, including that of Pope Leo XIV.
Legal experts express that holding dual citizenship as a high-ranking foreign official, like the pope, poses complex international law issues. Peter Spiro, a law professor at Temple University, elaborates that broad immunity from U.S. laws could conflict with American constitutional principles regarding citizenship.
Despite the potential legal complexities, the U.S. Supreme Court has established that citizenship can only be relinquished through an intentional renunciation process. Spiro suggests that it would be challenging to argue that Leo intended to abandon his U.S. citizenship by becoming pope. He believes it is improbable that the U.S. would take steps to terminate the pope’s citizenship status.
Pope Leo XIV also holds Peruvian citizenship, which poses no legal conflict, according to Peruvian law. He obtained his Peruvian citizenship in August 2015, prior to his appointment as bishop in Peru, after fulfilling the residency and civics requirements. Jorge Puch, a Peruvian civil registry official, applauds the pope’s decision to become a naturalized citizen as an admirable step.
Under Peruvian law, all citizens, including those who are naturalized, must participate in elections until the age of 69. Since Leo will turn 70 before the upcoming presidential election, voting will not be required of him.
The citizenship status of previous popes is not clearly documented, as the Vatican traditionally does not disclose such information. Pope Francis renewed his Argentine passport in 2014, one year after his papal election, while both Pope Benedict XVI and Pope John Paul II did not publicly renounce their citizenship.
Historian Margaret Susan Thompson from Syracuse University expresses skepticism regarding Leo’s intent to renounce his U.S. citizenship but observes that the new pope may aim to present himself as a leader of the universal Catholic Church rather than an American figure. His choice to deliver speeches in both Italian and Spanish, rather than in English, could signify this intent.
Interestingly, there have been instances where U.S. citizens have held positions in foreign governments. Notable cases include Boris Johnson, the former Prime Minister of the U.K., who was born in New York and renounced his American citizenship in 2016 while serving as foreign secretary.
Another example is Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed, who was an American citizen when he became president of Somalia in 2017. Having moved to the U.S. in 1985, he relinquished his citizenship two years into his presidency.
Valdas Adamkus is another U.S. citizen who returned to Lithuania after fleeing Soviet occupation to eventually serve as the country’s president, relinquishing his American citizenship upon election.
As Pope Leo XIV navigates the complexities of his unique position as an American citizen and the pope, his leadership will likely bring forth discussions about citizenship, authority, and the intersection of faith and governance.
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