Pop Leo XIV choices first to place her in an extraordinary and complex legal position as Pontiff, born in the US: An American citizen who now serves as a foreign state head. Born in Chicago in 1955, Robert Prevost, Pope Leo, has held dual citizenship with the United States and Peru, where he has spent significant times as a missionary and bishop. This unique duality raises important questions about the difference between American citizenship laws and international diplomatic protocols, especially the Pope’s role is given as a spiritual leader of about 1.4 billion Catholic and head of the state state.
The Vatican City, the world’s smallest nation, is only 0.17 square miles away and has the number of population in hundreds. Established in 1929 as an independent state through a treaty between Italy and Holi C, the Vatican City not only grants the Global Spiritual Affairs of the Catholic Church but also to the Pope Sovereign Authority on this sovereign region. As a result, Pope Leo XIV now occupies a role that is a religious leader and part of the government, a dual status that has ever been held by some in history – and a one who conspires with American laws on citizenship.
The US State Department notes that American who serve as the heads of foreign state heads, heads of the government, or the Foreign Minister may be subject to the “active review” of his citizenship status. This is due to legal complications related to international law, especially questions about immunity from American jurisdiction given to such officers. In short, the immune founder of a foreign leader can struggle with the American constitutional principle that no civilian is above the law.
However, from the 1980 decision of the US Supreme Court, it has been established that an American citizen cannot unknowingly snatch citizenship until they clearly intend to abandon it. In this light, legal scholars widely believe that Pope Leo XIV is unlikely to lose his American citizenship by becoming only the Pope. Professor Peter Spiro of Temple University Law insisted that without clear renunciation, the State Department does not consider a loss of citizenship.
In addition, Peru’s law does not struggle with the Pope to maintain its American citizenship. Pope Leo was given citizenship of Peru in August 2015, who was staying there for at least two years and taking the examination of civil scripture. George Puch, an official of Peru, praised the Pope’s natural decision, calling it a commendable option that symbolizes his connection to Peru.
In Peru, citizens usually need to vote till the age of 69, but the Pope Leo will be exempted from this requirement, as it will be 70 immediately after the upcoming presidential elections. The Pope’s dual citizenship state is legally visible under both the US and Peru framework, allowing it to fulfill its duties without a clear struggle.
Interestingly, the Vatican usually does not disclose detailed information about the status of citizenship of the previous pop on its election. For example, Pope Francis renewed his Argentina Passport in 2014, a year after becoming the Pope, while his predecessors-born Pope Benedict XVI and Polish-Janit Pope John Paul II-ever renounced their original citizenship. John Paul II was notable as the first non-Italian Pope in four centuries.
Historian Margaret Susan Thompson noted that while Pope Leo XIV probably would not sacrifice his American citizenship, his decision to deliver his first popular speech in Italian and Spanish instead of English sends a clear message: his role is the universal pope of the Catholic Church, which crosses any national identity.
The Pope’s position is not without exemplary among world leaders with dual or foreign citizenship. Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, born to the British parents in New York City, renounced his American citizenship in 2016 before becoming Prime Minister in 2019. Former Somalia president Mohammad Abdullahi Mohammed and an American natural citizen, abandoned their American citizenship after taking over. Similarly, Valdas Edmkas, who fled from Soviet-Quiz Lithuania and became an American citizen, abandoned his American citizenship after being elected President of Lithuania in 1998.
The unique position of Pope Leo XIV as an American citizen and foreign head surrounds the complex intersection of national loyalty, international diplomacy and spiritual leadership. As the leader of Holi C and Vatican City, she rarely symbolizes a role seen in modern geopolitics, and her dual citizenship positions light on developing legal and constitutional challenges in a global world.
The situation of his citizenship underlines continuous dialogue identity, sovereignty and major questions about the responsibilities of global leaders that affect many countries and legal systems. While the spiritual mission of the Pope units millions worldwide, their legal status serves as an attractive case study in relationships between citizenship, international law and unique nature of papayi.
As the Pope Leo XIV Catholic Church is carried into a new era, their dual citizenship is a reminder that even the most ancient institutions must navigate contemporary legal and political realities, balance the tradition with modern world demands.