Pope Leo XIV pledges U.S. visit, cites American heritage and mixed ancestry

Pope Leo XIV Canticle of Peace United States visit mixed ancestry immigration policy

Pope Leo XIV, the first American pontiff, spoke at the “Canticle of Peace” event on 29 July 2026 in the Vatican Gardens at Castel Gandolfo. The ceremony featured tenor Andrea Bocelli and a 164‑member children’s choir from Uganda, the Holy Land and Italy. During the event the children asked, “Why is there war and not peace?” and the pope linked their question to a broader call for harmony.

In interviews with NBC News and Telemundo, Leo highlighted his love for the United States, praising its “sense of freedom, the sense of opportunity, and the tradition of welcoming immigrants.” He revealed that on his mother’s side his ancestors were both slaves and slave owners. He said he hopes to travel to the United States within the next couple of years, noting that he and his team were “looking at the calendar for the next couple of years.” He also criticized the Trump administration’s immigration policies as “inhumane.” Former President Donald Trump responded on social media, calling the pope “weak on crime.”

Entities: Andrea Bocelli · Bishop Vincenzo Viva · Cardinal Matteo Zuppi · Castel Gandolfo · Donald J. Trump · Donald Trump · Italian Episcopal Conference · Italy · NBC · NBC News · Pope Leo XIV · Pope Leone XIV

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.

[● 3 SOURCES] Pope Leon XIV expressed hope to visit the United States soon. (Pope Leon XIV)
[● 2 SOURCES] Pope Leon XIV gave interviews to Telemundo and NBC about his background and US visit. (Pope Leon XIV)
[● 16 SOURCES] Pope Leo XIV was born in the United States and his family is still in the United States. (multiple articles)
[● 3 SOURCES] Pope Leo XIV urged migrants to have hope, live orderly and respect the law. (Mentioned in the Italian (5fd581cf) and Polish (50b8410f) articles, as well as the US‑focused (f813431b) piece.)
[○ 1 SOURCE] Pope Leo XIV highlighted the need to support the elderly and prevent their isolation. (Discussed in the article about ‘Giornata dei Nonni’ (4deb234e) which quotes the pope’s remarks on senior loneliness.)
[● 3 SOURCES] Pope Leon XIV said a visit to the United States would be symbolically important as the first American pope. (Pope Leon XIV)
[● 17 SOURCES] His ancestors included both slaves and slave owners. (multiple articles)
[● 2 SOURCES] Pope Leon XIV described himself as an American and praised U.S. values of freedom, opportunity and openness to immigrants. (Pope Leon XIV)
[● 8 SOURCES] Pope Leo XIV says he thinks of himself as the pope who happens to be American, not only as an American pope. (statement)
[● 4 SOURCES] Pope Leo XIV hopes to visit the United States soon, within a few years. (Both the Italian (5fd581cf) and Polish (50b8410f) articles, as well as the US‑focused pieces (f813431b, d1bd2eaa) state)
[● 3 SOURCES] Pope Leo XIV said that being the first American pope has great significance. (Stated in the Polish (50b8410f), US‑focused (f813431b) and Italian (d1bd2eaa) pieces.)
[● 15 SOURCES] Pope Leo XIV was born in the United States and his family still lives there. (∀)