Pope Leo XIV's Dual Citizenship Review

Pope Leo XVI, born Robert Prevost in Chicago, was elected as the first U.S.-born leader of the Catholic Church. He holds dual citizenship in the United States and Peru, and as pope, he serves as the head of Vatican City — Vatican City, an independent state. This unique situation has led the United States — United States Department of State to potentially review his citizenship status, as its policy allows for review of Americans serving as foreign heads of state. However, legal experts like Peter J. Spiro believe it is highly unlikely the United States will terminate Pope Leo XVI's citizenship, citing a 1980 United States — Supreme Court of the United States decision that requires intentional renunciation. Peruvian law, according to Jorge Puch, has no conflict with Pope Leo XVI retaining his Peruvian citizenship. Predecessors like Pope Francis, Pope Benedict XVI, and Pope John Paul II maintained their home country citizenships. Margaret Susan Thompson suggests Pope Leo XVI's initial speeches in Italian and Spanish indicate his desire to emphasize his role as a universal Catholic Church leader rather than an American one. Historical examples of other U.S. citizens serving as foreign heads of state, such as Boris Johnson, Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi, and Valdas Adamkus, who eventually renounced their U.S. citizenship, are also noted.