U.S. bill introduced to preserve the Pope’s American citizenship

Pope Leo XIV. Photo: catholicnews

A bill has been introduced in the U.S. Congress aimed at preserving the American citizenship of the Roman Pontiff and exempting him from tax obligations during his pontificate, reports catholicnews.

The bill was registered on July 18, 2025, by Republican Congressman Jeff Hurd of Colorado. The initiative is tied to the election of U.S. citizen Cardinal Robert Prevost – who took the name Leo XIV – to the papal throne.

“This bill recognizes the unique nature of the papacy – at the crossroads of faith, leadership, and global responsibility. The election of Leo XIV is a historic moment not only for the Catholic Church but also for America,” Hurd stated in his announcement.

The bill aims to protect the Pope’s U.S. citizenship and exempt him from filing tax returns or paying taxes in the United States during his time as pontiff.

Following Leo XIV’s election, concerns arose in the Vatican that the Pope’s American citizenship could lead to legal complications. Some officials unofficially advised him to renounce his U.S. passport. Hurd’s bill would eliminate the need to do so.

According to current U.S. law, assuming the position of head of a foreign state does not automatically result in the loss of American citizenship, but such cases are reviewed individually by the State Department.

One of the Vatican’s primary concerns is the possibility that the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS) could demand income and asset disclosures from the Pope, including papal funds and charitable accounts. The bill also protects the pontiff from potential loss of citizenship and civil liability in American courts.

Vatican representatives point out that the situation is further complicated by the fact that U.S. courts could attempt to hold the Pope personally – as a U.S. citizen – liable in lawsuits filed against the Catholic Church.

Although the Vatican has traditionally enjoyed immunity as a subject of international law, the Pope’s U.S. citizenship could, according to some legal experts, provide grounds for attempts at personal legal action. Adoption of the bill could eliminate these legal risks.

As the UOJ previously reported, Robert Amsterdam has sent open letters to Western leaders and Orthodox hierarchs around the world in connection with “Mr. Zelensky’s outrageous decision to strip His Beatitude Onufriy, Metropolitan of Kyiv and All Ukraine, of his citizenship.”

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