The British Royals Message Board: Re: Triple citizenship

Thanks: FYI, I eventually found out the answer to my question, which is that the Holy Father has not forfeited his U.S. citizenship, after all -- nor will he have to. He can remain the head-of-state of Vatican City while retaining his citizenships of Peru and the United States, respectively. As long as there is no state of war between any two of the the three countries, he should be fine.

Some people, however, choose to renounce their U.S. citizenships, anyway -- just to be sure: Eamon de Valera (born in NYC) did that, before assuming the presidency of Ireland.

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Yes, I had a friend who had three passports: one from his mother's country, one from his father's country, and one from his birth country. Diplomatic family.

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Have you ever heard of such a thing? I know that DUAL citizenship is possible: and US law does allow this. But I personally have never heard of triple citizenship -- which in a way might characterize Pope Leo XIV.

However, I suspect that His Holiness is only a dual citizen -- that is, of Peru and Vatican City, of which he is now the head-of-state. Yes: a correct interpretation of the U.S. Constitution would have it that the moment Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost accepted the papacy, he ceased to be a citizen of the United States.

The reason for automatic forfeiture is not that he is the bishop of Rome: after all, being the bishop of Chiclayo earlier in his life didn't cause him to lose his U.S. citizenship. Rather, it's that he is the sovereign of an independent foreign state.

To be sure, Cardinal Prevost didn't commit treason in accepting the papacy: one is a traitor to his country only if, as a citizen, he revolts against it -- either by taking up arms against it or accepts the sovereignty of a foreign country in a state of hostility with it.

As it is, the United States and Vatican City have enjoyed full diplomatic relations since 1983; and AFAIK the two are not presently engaged in a war against each other. Otherwise, the former cardinal would have had to first renounce his U.S. citizenship before accepting the papacy -- lest he be charged, convicted, and hanged for treason.

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I suspect the new pope's election caught many people on the hop and they're not sure about the legal status of his citizenship. Personally I would be surprised if an independent Head of State such as the Pope could possibly be a citizen or subject of another country. Incidentally there would also be the question of his Peruvian citizenship but doesn't the US forbid dual citizenship in which case he is presumably no longer a US citizen?

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Regarding the new Pope's American citizenship - not sure which actual constitutional provision would automatically cancel that? At this point and so many days later, why was that not pointed out by the U.S. Secretary of State or other officials as soon as Leo XIV became Pope?

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What if a British Catholic got elected to and accepted the papacy? Could he still remain a legal citizen of the United Kingdom, or would he forfeit his status? If forfeiture was not automatic, would he nevertheless be obliged to renounce his British citizenship?

WOULD it actually be possible to remain a subject of the reigning monarch, while at the same time being the sovereign of a foreign state -- i.e. Vatican City?

The reason for my asking is the sticky legal question that has just risen around the recent papal conclave, where an American cardinal got elected as the supreme pontiff of the Catholic Church. Pope Leo XIV has not forfeited his Peruvian citizenship; but his U.S. citizenship appears to be in jeopardy. Either he has automatically forfeited it or he will be pressured to renounce it.