Pope Leo XIV casts historic vote in US midterm election

Pope Leo XIV has submitted his mail-in poll in Illinois, for the midterm elections, changing into the first-ever pope to vote in a US election.

“The Holy Father expresses his perception in the precise and the responsibility of residents to take part in democratic processes,” the Holy See Press Workplace stated in an announcement.

The Chicago-born pontiff is the primary US citizen to carry the Vatican’s highest seat, after his choice in Might 2025.

Since then, he has clashed with the Trump administration over numerous points, together with immigration enforcement and the US-Israel warfare with Iran.

“Pope Leo XIV has exercised his proper to vote as a United States citizen, at any time when he was eligible to take action,” the press workplace stated, together with throughout his years in Peru.

The US midterm elections will decide which political celebration controls Congress and have a major affect on the ultimate years of Donald Trump’s presidency.

Elections will likely be held nationwide on 3 November, however early voting has begun in most states.

In line with NBC Information, the Pope requested his mail-in poll from the Will County Clerk’s Workplace on 3 October.

Lower than two weeks later, the Vatican introduced he had surgical procedure to take away a decrease lobe of his proper lung after he was identified with lung most cancers.

The Vatican confirmed final week that the Pope, aged 71, will journey as deliberate to Uruguay, Argentina, and Peru in early November.

Tensions escalated between the Pope and the US president in April, after the Pope referred to as for peace within the wake of US-Israeli strikes on Iran.

“I do not assume he is doing an excellent job,” Trump stated concerning the Pope afterwards.

“We do not like a Pope that is going to say that it is OK to have a nuclear weapon,” he continued. “I am not a giant fan of Pope Leo.”

Pope Leo adopted along with his personal remarks later, saying: “The mission of the Church is to evangelise the Gospel, to evangelise peace,” in line with Reuters.

“If somebody needs to criticise me for preaching the Gospel… I hope merely to be listened to due to the worth of God’s phrases.”