Pope Leo XIV’s election as the first American to lead the Catholic Church elevated him to the rare position of being a U.S. citizen who is also a foreign head of state.
Ok but could Leo turn around and just say that at Church property is effectively like a consulate of the Vatican? Like, U.S. law wouldn’t apply anywhere owned by a diocese.
No, the land they own still has to comply with domestic law in whatever country it’s in, but they are very large landowners and could do quite a lot with the power that comes with that, and he could also do a lot in the way of “instructing Catholic Churches to hide people from ICE, excommunicating Catholics who collaborate with ICE, etc.” if he wanted to
Ok but could Leo turn around and just say that at Church property is effectively like a consulate of the Vatican? Like, U.S. law wouldn’t apply anywhere owned by a diocese.
that would be unspeakably terrible
It’d be funny though
Lol no. But he could, for example, declare it a sin to not help migrants. He can’t enforce it, but it would be funny.
No, the land they own still has to comply with domestic law in whatever country it’s in, but they are very large landowners and could do quite a lot with the power that comes with that, and he could also do a lot in the way of “instructing Catholic Churches to hide people from ICE, excommunicating Catholics who collaborate with ICE, etc.” if he wanted to