Pope Leo XIV casts postal ballot in Illinois for US midterms
The Pope has cast his vote by postal ballot for the US midterm elections, the Vatican confirmed. It would be his first vote as Pope.
Pope Leo XIV has cast his vote by postal ballot for the US midterm elections on November 3. The Press Office of the Vatican confirmed this. According to research by Rome Reports, the Pope is registered as a voter in the state of Illinois, specifically in New Lenox in the Chicago metropolitan area. It would be his first vote as Pope.
Leo XIV was born in Chicago in 1955 and still holds US citizenship. The research points to nine previous participations in elections since 2008. Before his election as Pope, he had cast his vote from Peru, where he worked as a missionary and later as a bishop. Church law prohibits clergy from active party politics, but not from taking part in elections. The vote therefore falls within the requirements of church law, even though it takes place in an office that is meant to stand above all political camps.
The midterm elections will fill all 435 seats in the US House of Representatives as well as one third of the seats in the Senate. The midterms take place in the middle of the president's term and are traditionally regarded as a barometer of public opinion on the government. US bishops had called on Catholic voters to cast their ballots. Some church representatives in the United States also cautioned that faith should take precedence over politics. The bishops recommend assessing candidates on the basis of the Church's social teaching, rather than relying solely on party political camps.
Leo XIV and US President Donald Trump hold opposing positions on central issues. Which party or candidate the Pope voted for is not known, as the ballot is secret and the Vatican has not disclosed anything on the matter. His older brother, Louis Prevost, openly supports the MAGA movement and has shared posts on social media endorsing Trump and criticising the Democrats. Whether this allows any conclusions about the Pope's own views is not established.
A trip by the Pope to his homeland, the USA, is also being considered. Archbishop Paul Gallagher linked the trip to the election without elaborating in detail. However, it could only take place after the US elections of 2028. No binding schedule has been set so far.
Source: romereports.com
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