Pope Leo XIV speaks to the College of Cardinals in Rome on Saturday, May 10, 2025. / Credit: Vatican Media
CNA Staff, May 14, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).
CatholicsaroundtheworldcontinuetocelebratetheelectionlastweekofPopeLeoXIV,thefirstpopefromtheUnitedStates.Inadditiontobeinganatural-bornAmericancitizen,LeoisalsoanaturalizedcitizenofPeru,havingministeredtherefordecades.
Hiselectionaspoperaisesseveralinterestingquestionsfromanationalitylawperspective.Chiefly:canaU.S.citizenbecomekingofaforeigncountryandstillremainanAmericancitizen?
Thepopeis,afterall,anabsolutemonarch;hepossesses,astheVatican’sFundamentalLawexplains,“thefullnessofthepowerofgovernment,whichincludesthelegislative,executive,andjudicialpowers”oftheVaticanCityState—asovereigncountrythatmaintainsrelationswithover175othernations—andtheHolySee,whichisthecentralgoverningauthorityoftheChurch.
PaulHunker,anAmericanimmigrationattorneyandaCatholic,toldCNAthatU.S.federallaw—specifically8U.S.Code§1481—spellsoutsomeveryspecificconditionsunderwhich
