Pope Leo XIV has no illusions about power. He did not seek high office. His heart was shaped by those he served: by farmers, women, migrants, tribal elders. His papacy is not one of institutional might, but of moral closeness. He brings with him the scent of woodsmoke, the memory of dirt paths, the sound of prayer in tribal tongues.

The pope reportedly voted in primaries for both the GOP and Democratic parties and cast an absentee ballot for the 2024 general election.