Pope Leo XIV has voted in the United States midterm elections, the Vatican has confirmed, making him the first pope to have voted in a US election.
Pope Leo, a US citizen, submitted his mail-in ballot in Chicago, the Holy See said in a statement on Friday.
The statement said the move was in keeping with the pontiff’s “long-standing practice of civic participation”.
“The Holy Father has also confirmed that, during his years of residence in Peru he exercised his right to vote whenever he was eligible to do so,” the statement reads.
“The Holy Father expresses his belief in the right and the duty of citizens to participate in democratic processes.”
US federal law allows eligible American citizens living abroad to vote in federal elections through absentee ballots.
Leo reportedly requested the mail-in ballot on October 3, registering at an address in New Lenox, Illinois — 10 days before undergoing surgery to remove a cancerous tumour from his right lung.
The pontiff has gradually resumed his activities since being discharged from hospital on October 17.
The midterm elections are scheduled for November 3. The polls will determine which political party controls Congress and have a significant impact on the final years of Donald Trump’s presidency.
Leo has criticised Trump’s immigration policies and the US-Israeli war on Iran.
Earlier this year, Trump lashed out at Leo in response to the pontiff’s criticisms, calling him “weak”.
Leo said he was “not afraid” of Trump.
