The first American Pontiff is skipping a visit to his home country in the first year of his papacy.
The Chicago-born Pope Leo XIV has not visited the United States since assuming the papacy last year, and it appears that American Catholics will have to wait a little longer. The Holy See Press Office confirmed on Sunday that a U.S. trip is not on the agenda for 2026.
The National Catholic Reporter detailed that, before the Vatican confirmed Pope Leo would skip the U.S., there was speculation he would visit sometime around the United Nations General Assembly in September.
A pope visiting his home country in the first year is not unheard of; Popes John Paul II and Benedict XVI both made trips in their first 12 months, though Leo’s predecessor, Pope Francis, never visited Argentina.
Pope Leo is expected to visit countries in Latin America, Africa, and other nations in Europe before the year’s end.
The announcement follows Pope Leo’s vocal criticisms of the Trump Administration’s policies. Last November, he called the president’s treatment of immigrants “extremely disrespectful.” Following Donald Trump’s attack on Venezuela in January, the pope condemned “diplomacy based on force” and a renewed “zeal for war.”
The White House did not immediately respond to the Daily Beast’s request for comment.
Vice President JD Vance, who converted to Catholicism in 2019 and wrote that his conversion “demanded that I let go of grudges, and forgive even those who wronged me,” has been caught between his faith and his political agenda since assuming office.
Pope Leo gave Vance an icy reception when the vice president attended his inaugural mass last May.
The VP was caught in the middle after Pope Leo condemned the Department of Homeland Security’s harsh immigration raids in November.
Assistant Homeland Security Secretary Tricia McLaughlin implied the pontiff was a liar in a post on X, and a White House spokesperson said the pope “doesn’t know what he’s talking about,” resulting in Vance demanding who made the statement.
While Vance has stayed loyal to his commander-in-chief amid growing backlash against his policies, the Catholic community has been critical of his commitment to the church.
Following the killings of American citizens Renee Good and Alex Pretti by federal agents, the National Catholic Reporter published two op-eds excoriating the VP’s defense of ICE and Border Patrol.
“As a Catholic, Vance could have chosen to share the Gospel message of healing and human dignity. Instead, he chose to offer the MAGA message of division and blame,” wrote journalist John Grosso in the aftermath of Pretti’s death.
Regarding Pope Leo’s upcoming trips, the Catholic Reporter outlined that several factors likely contributed to the decision to skip the U.S. For one, it’s an election year, which National Catholic Reporter Vatican Correspondent Justin McLellan said the Vatican tries to avoid when scheduling the pontiff’s trips.
The upcoming midterm elections are already rife with tension and controversy. As the Trump Administration continues its unpopular policies, Republicans are worried about losing the House and the Senate.
“A year ago, I would have told you we were almost guaranteed to win the Senate,” one GOP strategist told Axios this week. “Today, I would have to tell you it’s far less certain.”
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