Pope Leo XIV’s recent election marks a historical moment as he becomes the first U.S.-born leader of the Catholic Church.
Born Robert Prevost in Chicago in 1955, he has held dual citizenship in the United States and Peru, where he has served as a missionary and bishop for the past decade.
Leo’s role as pope places him at the intersection of being both a spiritual leader for approximately 1.4 billion Catholics and a head of state of Vatican City, the world’s smallest independent nation.
Acknowledging the unique circumstances of his dual citizenship, one must consider whether he can maintain his status as a U.S. citizen while simultaneously governing a foreign state.
The Vatican is recognized as a sovereign nation, having gained independence in 1929 through a treaty between Italy and the Holy See.
This status raises questions about the implications of Leo’s American citizenship, particularly given that the U.S. State Department states it may review the citizenship status of Americans who serve in high-ranking foreign government positions.
Serving as a foreign head of state may create complex legal scenarios since such individuals may possess significant immunity from U.S. laws.
Peter Spiro, a law professor at Temple University and a specialist in citizenship law, notes that this immunity can conflict with the constitutional principle that no American citizen is above the law.
However, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in a 1980 case that Americans cannot be stripped of their citizenship unless they deliberately renounce it.
According to Spiro, it would be difficult to argue that Leo intended to relinquish his citizenship by becoming pope.
He remarked, “I think it’s highly unlikely that the U.S. moves to terminate the pope’s citizenship.”
Regarding Leo’s Peruvian citizenship, Peruvian law does not conflict with his status as pope.
Jorge Puch, deputy director of registry archives at Peru’s National Registry of Identification and Civil Status, confirmed that Leo became a citizen in August 2015 after meeting residency and civics requirements.
Puch praised Leo’s decision to acquire Peruvian nationality, stating, “It is the most praiseworthy thing our beloved supreme pontiff could have done: Wanting to have Peruvian nationality without having been Peruvian by birth.”
In Peru, voting is mandatory for all adult citizens, but Leo will not need to vote in the upcoming presidential election as he will turn 70 before that event.
As for the citizenship status of previous popes, there is little concrete information available.
The Vatican does not disclose whether prior popes retained citizenship in their home countries after their election.
Pope Francis did renew his Argentine passport in 2014, a year after he ascended to the papacy, while his predecessors Pope Benedict XVI and Pope John Paul II did not publicly renounce their respective citizenships.
Margaret Susan Thompson, a history professor at Syracuse University and expert on American Catholicism, indicated that Leo is unlikely to renounce his U.S. citizenship but noted that his first speech as pope, delivered in Italian and Spanish without using English, may carry significant symbolic weight.
Thompson suggests that this choice reflects Leo’s intention to convey his role as a leader for the global Catholic Church rather than as an American in that position.
Interestingly, Leo’s situation parallels that of other U.S. citizens who have held positions as leaders of foreign governments.
Notable examples include Boris Johnson, the former British Prime Minister, who was born in New York and renounced his American citizenship in 2016.
Additionally, Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed served as president of Somalia while holding U.S. citizenship until he relinquished it after two years in office.
Valdas Adamkus, who became a U.S. citizen after fleeing Lithuania, returned to his home country and became its president before giving up his American citizenship.
As Pope Leo XIV begins his papacy, the intertwining of his U.S. citizenship and role as a foreign leader presents both legal and symbolic implications that will be closely observed in the coming years.
His unique position raises essential questions about identity, governance, and the nature of citizenship in a globalized world.
The implications of Leo’s leadership extend beyond religion, touching upon complex intersections of nationality, law, and diplomacy.
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