Since the election of Robert Francis Prevost to the See of Rome just under two weeks ago, Americans, Catholic and otherwise, have reveled in Leo XIV becoming the first U.S. citizen to serve as pope.
An American pope is, reasonably, a source of national pride and joy, especially for the local Church. And the novelty of an American pope provoked some instant reflection on the legal and constitutional questions it raises — like: can the pope run for president?
But, as the practicalities of the Leonine pontificate begin to settle in, The Pillar has learned that some senior officials at the Vatican’s Secretariat of State have expressed serious concerns at the new pope’s dual citizenship and urged an internal conversation about the prospect of Leo renouncing his U.S. passport.
