Can Pope Leo XIV Keep His US Citizenship While Leading Vatican?

Pope Leo XIV, born Robert Prevost in Chicago in 1955, holds dual U.S.–Peruvian citizenship from his decade-long missionary and episcopal service in Peru.

As the first American-born pontiff leading both the Holy See and the sovereign state of Vatican City, his role may prompt a US State Department review of his citizenship status, since Americans serving as foreign heads of state face potential scrutiny.

However, a 1980 Supreme Court decision protects U.S. nationals from involuntary denaturalization absent voluntary renunciation.

While the Vatican keeps predecessors’ citizenship details private, other US-born foreign leaders like Boris Johnson and Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed chose to renounce their American citizenship before taking office.