You cannot follow both Christ and the cruelty of Kings. A leader who mocks the weak, exalts himself, and preys on the innocent is not sent by God. He is sent to test you. And many are failing (Pope Leo XIV)
Robert Francis Prevost is an American citizen. He was born, raised and educated on the south side of Chicago. He’s also registered to vote. More importantly he’s known worldwide as Pope Leo (XIV). Pope Leo has made history by being the first Pope to vote in an American General Election. He’s voted numerous times before and his record shows that he’s chosen both Republican and Democratic ballots in primaries. Take a look at and think about that quote above and tell me which Party’s candidates he’s more likely to have voted for. It’s a safe bet Trump will assume the Pope voted for at least some Democrats and will blow a gasket!
It’s been confirmed by multiple outlets that Pope Leo did indeed vote by mail in the midterms. As we learn from the National Catholic Reporter in response to reporting from the Chicago Sun-Times the Vatican put out a statement:
The pope “has exercised his right to vote as a United States citizen, whenever he was eligible to do so” the Vatican said in a statement on Friday. “The Holy See Press Office confirms that in keeping with this long-standing practice of civic participation, he has submitted his mail-in ballot in Chicago.”
The Vatican statement came in response to reporting from the Chicago Sun-Times, which found that Robert Francis Prevost had requested a mail-in ballot for the Nov. 3 midterm election from the Will County clerk’s office in Illinois. It said the pope was registered to an address in New Lenox, Illinois, and requested the ballot on Oct. 3, a Saturday.
The article notes there are a couple of high-level races listed on the Pope’s ballot. Democratic Governor Pritzker is up for re-election, and due to Dick Durbin’s retirement (which I wish he’d done long ago) Illinoisians will pick a new Senator. Don’t worry folks. My FB feed from my small hometown has been whining that Democrats will win because of those urban areas. I couldn’t resist responding to a classmate’s lament that the bulk of counties will be red but Democrats will still win those statewide races. I pointed out there are more people and voters in urban/suburban areas and that people, not land is what gets counted up on election night. I had more to say but I mention it because no one back home challenged me. But I digress.
Trump as you know is obsessed with voter fraud. It’s not just rhetoric. He’s determined to have his DOJ root it out and prosecute it. He’s also as we’ve seen compelled the DOJ to file multiple cases that fell apart once filed in court, often before they even reach trial. In the few cases where a trial has been held the defendants have been found not guilty. That however won’t stop Trump from DEMANDING Pope Leo be prosecuted for ‘illegally voting.’
Prevost/Pope Leo isn’t the only person in history to have dual citizenship. Nor is he the only one to live in one place (even another country) for work, but maintain their home of record literally back home. I did so while on active duty in the Marines more decades ago than I care to admit. I maintained my home of record in my hometown and my Illinois driver’s license up until the day I left active duty. I voted absentee by mail which wasn’t nearly as common back then. No big deal. In fact the Corps strongly pushed us to vote whether in person or absentee. I’m sure it was the same in other branches.
The point is it’s long been perfectly legal to reside in one place but vote in another. Pope Leo is no different than anyone else in that regard. Hell, as President Trump himself has voted by mail and more than once! Considering Trump and his attitudes and germaphobia it makes sense. No way would he want to go into some regular polling place, be surrounded by ordinary non-rich folks and risk getting ‘cooties’ and such from them. Or having to close a curtain behind him if that polling station was set up with those kinds of booths. Now that I think about it these days his clearly deteriorating motor skills might have him preferring to have someone (Natalie?) mark his ballot for him!
No matter. HE is ‘The Great and Powerful Trump’ and is allowed to do what mere mortals are not. In this case vote by mail. He objects to others, especially those he fears might vote for Democrats being able to do so. Lordy does he try to stop THAT. And if a voting law has been broken (even inadvertently) Trump wants the book thrown at anyone thought to be guilty of doing so. I’m quite certain that after Trump learned Pope Leo had voted two things happened. First, he went into a rage over it. Pope Leo has called Trump out on various matters and we all know that’s an unforgivable sin. Pope Leo is on the enemies list. That brings me to the second thing which is Trump screaming and cursing at Blanche to have charges for ‘illegal voting’ filed against Pope Leo.
For all Blanche’s subservience this might be the rare case of him trying to talk Trump away from the edge of a cliff looming over hell itself. Again referring to the linked article, Trump and others might try to claim the Pope isn’t a true legal resident despite what the law says. However he’s legally registered to vote back in Illinois and as before exercises that right:
“The Holy Father expresses his belief in the right and the duty of citizens to participate in democratic processes,” the Vatican said.
Still questions have been raised and you can bet your bippy Trump will want Blanche to use that as an excuse to go after the Pope. It is after all a situation that’s never come up before as Pope Leo is the first American Pope:
After his election to the papacy last May, questions arose over whether Leo would need to renounce his U.S. citizenship to serve as the head of Vatican City State. Serving as a foreign head of state is “a potentially expatriating act” but citizens serving in foreign governments can be expatriated “only if done voluntarily with the intention of relinquishing U.S. citizenship,” according to the State Department.
By requesting a mail-in ballot, the pope has evidently not relinquished his U.S. citizenship.
Would Trump actually try to prosecute Pope Leo for voting? This is Trump so all bets are off. As for Blanche he’s likely experiencing the kind of pain one would expect from having testicles being squeezed in a vise. Good. I hope Trump keeps cranking the thing till they pop. Of course, Blanche could decide to just resign. Walk away. If he knows deep down there’s no way he’d allow charges to be filed against the Pope it’s that or get fired and it would be better to just resign. Well, we will have to wait and see. We could be in for one of the ugliest legal and diplomatic showdowns in history. Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that,
Friends, I know everyone begs you for money. I promise, among all those asking for spare change, we are the smallest and the hardest working. We’re a group of old, disabled people, except for one writer in his mid-50s. The rest of us are in our sixties and seventies, and this is a labor of love. All we’re asking for is the chance to keep telling the truth about Trump and help ensure democracy survives. If you can help, please do. Thank you. Ursula
