Pope Leo XIV has hinted that he will make a visit to the United States in the near future during an interview with NBC Nightly News broadcast on July 29.
Speaking with NBC Nightly News anchor Tom Llamas, Pope Leo said a visit to his home country would likely take place before too long.
“They will see me there. Nothing is set in stone yet, but I certainly hope to be there soon,” he said.
Pope Leo, a native of Chicago, was ordained a priest of the Order of St Augustine in 1982. During his priestly ministry he spent many years in Peru and became a Peruvian citizen in 2015 before being appointed Bishop of Chiclayo.
He told Llamas that he sees himself first and foremost as Pope and pastor of the universal Church, rather than through the lens of nationality.
“I think of myself more as the Pope who happens to be American,” he said.
He continued: “I understand my mission as having a very important dimension, which is precisely being pastor of a universal Church and yet, at the same time, I will acknowledge that, for myself, as well as for the people of the United States, that there is great significance in being the first American pope.”
Pope Leo did not elaborate on a possible timetable or itinerary for a visit to the United States.
Chicago, where he was born and raised, would be among the most likely destinations. The city’s only previous papal visit came in 1979, when Pope St John Paul II visited during his first apostolic journey to the United States.
Illinois officials have also encouraged their native son to return. Governor JB Pritzker formally invited Pope Leo to visit the state during a private audience at the Vatican in November 2025.
Following Pope Leo’s election, Brooks Boyer, chief revenue and marketing officer of the Chicago White Sox, publicly invited him to throw the ceremonial first pitch at a baseball game.
Pope Leo is a well-known supporter of the Chicago White Sox and recently told a former player that he still watches the team’s games and follows its progress.
Philadelphia could also feature on any future itinerary. Pope Leo graduated from Villanova University, just outside the city, in 1977. His graduating class is due to celebrate its 50th reunion in 2027.
The last papal visit to the United States took place in 2015, when Pope Francis travelled to Washington, DC, New York and Philadelphia. That journey, which also included a visit to Cuba, was the seventh visit to the United States by a reigning pope.
