Pope Leo XIV becomes first pope to vote in US election

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 30 Oct, 17:22 · Archive

Pope Leo XIV has cast a mail-in ballot in a U.S. general election, the first pope to do so.

Pope Leo XIV has become the first pope in history to vote in a U.S. general election, casting a mail-in ballot registered at a New Lenox address in Illinois. The Vatican confirmed on Friday that the pontiff, who was born in Chicago and is a U.S. citizen, submitted his ballot ahead of voting day.

The Chicago-born pope, formerly Robert Prevost, holds both U.S. and Peruvian citizenship. The Vatican said he has exercised his right to vote as a United States citizen whenever he was eligible to do so, and also voted while living in Peru as a missionary priest and bishop for over 20 years.

The Holy See press office stated that 'The Holy Father expresses his belief in the right and the duty of citizens to participate in democratic processes'. Leo also holds citizenship of the Holy See, an absolute monarchy with no political elections. The vote was first reported by the Chicago Sun-Times, which quoted the chief of staff at the Will County clerk's office as saying the pope requested a mail-in ballot on 3 October.

How it is being reported

• Pope Leo XIV has become the first pope in history to vote in a U.S. general electionVATICAN CITY — Pope Leo XIV has become the first pope to vote in a U.S. general election, casting a mail-in ballot in a contest that will decide America’s future as the Trump era slowly comes to an end.TribLIVE · 30 Oct, 14:46
• Pope Leo XIV has become the first pope in history to vote in a U.S. electionPittsburgh Post-Gazette · 30 Oct, 13:10

In this story: Pope Leo XIV · Robert Prevost · Vatican · Chicago · Peru · Illinois · United States · Holy See

This summary was written by AI from the headlines and standfirsts above, and states as fact only what at least two outlets report. How we use AI · Report a problem · Corrections log