Pope Leo XIV gave a short interview to NBC’s Tom Llamas on July 29 in the garden at Castel Gandolfo shortly before he hosted a “Concert for Peace.” When asked about his view on being the first American pope, Pope Leo responded, “I think of myself as a Pope who happens to be an American. I have a great love for America. But I understand my mission as being pastor of a universal church and having a voice and an opportunity to speak to people throughout the world. I will put things in that order, and yet at the same time I will acknowledge that for myself as well as for the people of the United States, judging by the response that we have seen since May 8th of last year, that there is a great significance in being the first American pope.”
When asked about the importance of America in his eyes, he replied with what he believed were the principles America stood for. He replied: “the sense of freedom, the sense of opportunity, the sense of having invited for generations people from all over the world to be part of America.” He noted that his grandparents had also been immigrants to America and among his forebears there were those who had been slaves and those who had been slave-holders.
“And I continue to hold those principles that have been part of being an American, and that will continue,” he told Llamas. When asked if he would be coming to America any time soon, he said that they were now working on his travel schedule for the next two years, but that nothing had been firmed at this point.
Pope Leo’s remark that he is a descendant of both slaves and slave-holders has already set off a litany of commentaries about the uniqueness of this first-ever American pope.
More from the Castel Gandolfo concert can be seen and heard here.
