A new bill submitted by Rep. Jeff Hurd (R-CO) would allow for Pope Leo XIV, and any future citizens of the United States who are elected pope, to keep their citizenship.
Hurd, a Catholic, introduced the "Holy Sovereignty Protection Act" on July 18. The bill has been referred to committee.
“The election of Pope Leo XIV marks a historic moment not only for the Catholic Church but for America," said Hurd in a press release.
“This legislation ensures that any American who answers the call to lead more than a billion Catholics worldwide can do so without risking his citizenship or facing unnecessary tax burdens. This legislation recognizes the extraordinary nature of the papacy — a role at the intersection of faith, leadership, and global responsibility," he added.
In addition to preserving the U.S. citizenship of the current and any future popes, the bill also ensures that "such individual shall be exempt from taxation" throughout his papacy.
The United States is one of very few countries who tax all citizens, regardless of where they reside. Pope Leo XIV, who was born in Chicago as Robert Francis Prevost, is a dual citizen of the United States and Peru.
Prevost acquired Peruvian citizenship after he was appointed the bishop of Chiclayo, Peru. A treaty between Peru and the Vatican requires that all bishops in Peru are Peruvian citizens.
The citizenship and tax implications of Pope Leo XIV have been a topic of discussion since his election to the papacy on May 8, 2025. As one article published in May bluntly stated, Pope Leo should "expatriate immediately" from the United States.
Questions remain
As Pope Leo now resides in the Vatican, he is now eligible for Vatican citizenship and has presumably received it.
According to USAGov, an official website of the U.S. General Services Administration, a person could lose their citizenship if they "run for public office in a foreign country (under certain conditions)."
Pope Leo XIV, or any other pontiff, did not "run for public office" in a traditional manner, so it is unclear if this condition would even apply in this case.
Further, as the pope does not draw a salary in the normal sense, and had taken a vow of poverty when he became an Augustinian friar, it is further unclear as to what kind of "income" would be taxable by the IRS should this bill not become law and he keeps his U.S. citizenship.
