Lawton XIV: I am Papa... "Fate willed that I be born American"

Rome (AFP) – Pope Leo XIV, born in Chicago, affirmed in an interview with the American network NBC that he harbors “great love” for the United States and the values it represents, but noted that his being American remains a “coincidence.”

The Pope, the first American to hold the office, spoke with the network on Wednesday evening on the sidelines of an evening of prayer and a concert at his summer residence in Castel Gandolfo, near Rome.

Responding to a question about the significance of his American identity to him, he said, “I consider myself pope; it was by chance that I was born American,” adding that this does not “mean that I diminish the value of being American.”

The Pope, who spent about 20 years in missionary work in Peru, emphasized that his mission transcends national affiliation.

When asked what he likes about the United States, he replied, “Many things,” continuing, “If we speak of principles, what America represents is a sense of freedom and opportunity, and it has, over generations, invited people from all over the world to become part of it.”

The Pope recalled that his ancestors were immigrants. Since the beginning of his pontificate, Pope Leo XIV, like his predecessor Pope Francis, has defended the rights of migrants, describing the Donald Trump administration’s campaign against them in the United States as “inhumane.”

In his interview with the network, the Pope said that no date has yet been set for any upcoming visit to the United States, expressing hope that he will be able to visit “soon.”