Born in Chicago, Leo XIV – the first pope of American origin – spoke on Wednesday evening with a US broadcaster during a prayer and music event at the pontiff’s summer residence in Castel Gandolfo.
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“I consider myself more a pope who just happens to be American. I do not want to diminish what it means to be American,” said the pope when asked how important it is for him to be American.
“I feel a great love for America, but I understand that my mission has a very important dimension – to be the shepherd of the universal church and to have a voice and the opportunity to speak to people all over the world,” added Leo XIV, who was a missionary in Peru for nearly two decades.
When asked what the leader of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics loves about America, he replied: “Many things.”
“In a way, speaking about principles, what America represents, the sense of freedom, the sense of opportunity, the sense that entire generations of people from all over the world were invited to become part of America,” said 70-year-old Leo XIV. He added that his grandparents were immigrants.
On his mother’s side, Leo XIV said, “we have people who were both slaves and slave owners.”
Like his predecessor Francis, Leo XIV has repeatedly expressed support for migrants and called the administration of President Donald Trump’s handling of immigrants in the United States inhumane.
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This year, the conflict between Trump and the pope became a focus of global media attention and could have influenced US Catholic voters.
On July 4, US Independence Day, the pope visited the Italian island of Lampedusa – an important arrival point in Europe for those crossing the dangerous Mediterranean Sea from Africa – and called for tolerance and protection of vulnerable migrants, many of whom die during the journey.
Leo XIV told NBC that a trip to the United States is not yet planned, but he hopes to visit there soon.
The event in the gardens of Castel Gandolfo, led by Leo XIV, was part of the 800th anniversary commemoration of the death of St. Francis of Assisi.
Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli, accompanied by young singers from around the world, performed various pieces, including “Amazing Grace” in English and the hymn “Panis Angelicus.”
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