Pope Leo XIV has cast his vote.
As The Washington Post reported, the Vatican confirmed on Friday, October 30 that the Chicago-born pontiff had completed his mail-in ballot in the U.S. midterm elections.
Casting that vote, the Post pointed out, marks a historic first, making Pople Leo the first Catholic pope in the church’s history to vote in a U.S. election.
Historical First
Per a report from CNN, records indicate that Pope Leo registered to vote under his baptismal name, Robert Francis Prevost, to vote in the Chicago suburb of New Lenox; despite his role in the Vatican, the Pope remains a U.S. citizen, and as such retains the right to vote.
“Pope Leo XIV exercised his right to vote as a U.S. citizen whenever he had the opportunity,” reads a statement from the Holy See Press Office. “The Holy See Press Office confirms that, in keeping with this long-standing practice of civic participation, the pope mailed his ballot to Chicago.”
The pope’s ballot reportedly includes votes for both the the senate and governor race in Illinois, in addition to votes for house of representative, state and county elections.
Clashes with Trump Over Iran War
While the church has not indicated whether the pope voted for Democrats or Republicans, it’s been clear ever since he was elected as pontiff last year that he does not see eye-to-eye with President Donald Trump on an array of issues.
Since becoming pope, Leo has issued statements interpreted to be critical of Trump’s war in Iran and the administration’s ICE crackdown on immigrants.
Those apparent disgreements have resulted in Trump making unprecedented critical remarks about the pope.
While the pope has never specifically commented on the war in Iran, his speaking out against war in general was enough to raise Trump’s hackles.
Back in May, reported The Guardian, Trump was being interviewed by right-wing radio host Hugh Hewitt when he declared that the pontiff “would rather talk about the fact that it’s OK for Iran to have a nuclear weapon, and I don’t think that’s very good.”
Added Trump: “I think he’s endangering a lot of Catholics and a lot of people. But I guess if it’s up to the pope, he thinks it’s just fine for Iran to have a nuclear weapon.”
Trump Called the Pope ‘Weak’
That wasn’t the first time that one of Pope Leo’s statements rankled Trump — such as comments he made when endorsing a statement by the U.S. Confernece of Catholic Bishops that rejected the mass expulsion of immigrants.
“I would like to invite all Catholics — and also people of good will — to listen carefully to what they have said. I believe we must seek ways of treating people with humanity, with the dignity that is theirs,” he said.
“If someone is in the United States illegally, there are ways to address this. There are courts. There is a judicial system. I believe there are many problems in the system. No one has said that the United States should have open borders,” the Pope noted, adding, “I think every country has the right to determine who enters, how, and when … [but] when people have lived good lives — many of them for 10, 15, 20 years — treating them in a way that is, to say the least, extremely disrespectful, and with instances of violence, is troubling.”
Trump responded, reported CBC News, by calling the pope “weak,” and accused him of being a puppet of “the radical left.”
Leo responded by stating, “I’m not afraid of the Trump administration or of speaking out loudly about the message of the Gospel, which is what the church works for. I will continue to speak out strongly against war, seeking to promote peace, promoting dialogue and multilateralism among states to find solutions to problems.”
Pope Leo Makes History as First Pontiff to Vote In a U.S. Election