Pope Leo Breaks Precedent With Midterm Vote

Pope Leo voted in the United States midterm elections, marking the first known instance of a sitting pontiff casting a ballot in a political election. The Vatican confirmed on Friday that the pope submitted his vote by mail from Chicago, the city where he was born. This action places the head of the Catholic Church directly into the American electoral process as the November 3 vote approaches.

Leo, who served as Robert Prevost before his election, requested his mail-in ballot on October 3. He registered at an address in New Lenox, Illinois. This registration occurred 10 days before he underwent surgery to remove a cancerous tumor from his right lung. The pope was discharged from the hospital on October 17 and has been gradually resuming activities since then.

The Vatican statement noted that Leo exercised his right to vote as a United States citizen whenever eligible. It cited his time in Peru, where he lived as a missionary, as a previous instance of this participation. The statement added that the pope believes citizens have a right and duty to take part in democratic processes.

This ballot comes amid public tensions between Leo and President Donald Trump. The two men have clashed over immigration policy, with the pope describing US enforcement measures as inhuman. In a separate dispute over the US-Israeli war on Iran, Trump labeled the pope weak on crime and terrible on foreign policy. Trump also claimed Leo’s election was tied to his own presence in the White House. Leo responded to the criticism by saying he was not afraid of the president.

The pope recently addressed the US on the eve of the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. He praised the country’s history of welcoming migrants and urged Americans to live up to the ideals in the founding document. In a July interview with a US broadcaster, Leo expressed great love for his home country’s principles of freedom and opportunity, while noting he simply happens to be American.

Leo plans to travel to Latin America in November for an 11-day trip covering 10 cities. Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, the foreign minister of the Holy See, told reporters in Rome this week that a papal visit to the US is expected in the near future. Gallagher said the outcome of the midterm elections could determine whether that trip occurs in 2027 or later.