Question

Cardinal Robert Prevost, the newly chosen pope, is a registered Republican.

Answer 1

This statement is false. The newly Chose Pope, Pope Leo XIV is not an officially registered republican. However, this tweet is correct that he voted in Republican primaries but that does not determine wether he is registered republican or not. The article "Fact check: Is the new Pope registered to vote as a republican?" points out that "Prevost, 69, is a registered voter in Will County, Illinois, and cast ballots there over the past 13 years. In Illinois, voters do not register by party affiliation." It later goes on to say that he did in fact vote in Republican primaries but because he is registered in Illinois he does not have to declare affiliation with a party. The state of Illinois has no record of him declaring a party. 

Sources: Fact check: Is the new Pope registered to vote as a Republican?

Comments

Your fact check does a good job of identifying the main issue with the claim and referencing a reliable source to support your point. You correctly pointed out that Illinois does not require party registration and clarified that voting in Republican primaries does not mean someone is a registered Republican. The structure could be improved to make your reasoning clearer. For example, starting with Illinois' election laws, then discussing Prevost's voting history, and finishing with why the claim is misleading. Some of the phrasing is a little unclear, like “newly Chose Pope,” and could be made smoother to help the reader better understand your point.

---

I like the way you addressed every angle that could be used to deem him a republican, especially when you clarified you don't have to declare a party or register with one in order to vote in the primary. Additionally you brought up the point of them having no history of him having declared a party period which I really helped strengthen your case.

---

Good argument! Voting in Republican primaries by Cardinal Prevost does not qualify him as a registered Republican by default. You don’t have to declare a party in order to register to vote in the state of Illinois. Voting in the primaries thus does not make him officially a part of the Republican Party. The article clarifies and adds that there is no indication they have declared a party themselves. The statement is thus false.

---

This post is absolutely correct. I agree that while Pope Leo XIV did vote in Republican primaries, that alone does not make him a registered Republican. As the article points out, Illinois doesn’t require voters to register by party, so participation in a party's primary doesn't equal formal affiliation. The distinction is important, especially when misinformation spreads so easily. It’s clear from public records that there is no official party registration for him in Illinois, which confirms that labeling him as a “registered Republican” is misleading.

Answer 2

This claim is false. While it is proven that Pope Leo XIV has voted for republicans most recently, and in the past, he voted in Illinois. Illinois does not have voters register for a specific party. They simply vote the way the please in each election Therefor, this claim is false.

Comments

This fact check is congruent with other answers, but you have no sources. There is no way to believe what you are saying without any sources. The content of your fact check makes sense but adding sources would make is much stronger.

---

This fact check is true however, it's lacking depth of research and sources, it would be beneficial for you to expand on your research and strengthen your fact check.

---

Can you give out sources that back this up? It makes sense what you are saying but without any sources it would be difficult to believe what you are saying.

---

This fact check is clear and right to the point. I would have preferred a more in depth explanation and sources to back up your own claim. Other than this, this fact check gets the job done.

Answer 3

Cardinal Robert Prevost, is not a registered Republican. Yes there are records that show him voting for the Republican party in 2012, 2014, and 2016, but in Illinois, you do not register by party. In the state, no matter who you vote for you are never tied down to that political party. While this is the case, there are also tweets of the new pope criticizing Trump and Vance's policies, he seriously wants to protect immigrants and reduce gun violence. These opinions go against the right wing party, which indicates that Cardinal Robert Prevost is not a registered republican.

Source: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/elections/chicago-born-pope-leo-xiv-cast-ballot-recent-republican-primaries-illi-rcna205866

Comments

I appreciate the background on voting that you gave as context to this response. It helped to clear up some confusion about how voting works in certain states. I also liked how you included other facts about the Pope to explain his stance on other issues and gave a well-rounded report of him that had a reliable source to back it up.

---

Great points! Voting in Republican primaries does not mean he is a registered Republican, especially in Illinois, where party registration is not required. And his condemnation of Trump, coupled with his support for immigrant rights and gun control, shows he is not a member of the GOP. Thank you for the information!

Answer 4

No, Cardinal Robert Prevost, now Pope Leo XIV, is not a registered Republican. While he has voted in Republican primaries in the state of Illinois during the years of 2012, 2014, and 2016, records of the voters in the state of Illinois do not show him as officially registered in a particular party. It does not register by political affiliation in the state of Illinois but records a party when he votes in partisan primaries but it is not an official party registration.

https://www.who.int

Answer 5

This isn't true, t here is very little proof that Cardinal Robert Prevost is a registered Republican. On X the story most likely began as a joke or propaganda post. It isn't backed by proof from reliable sources that I could find

Answer 6

The claim that Pope Leo XIV is a registered republican is false. He is from Illinois where there is no system of party registration, meaning voters remain unaffiliated. The Pope has participated in both republican and democrat primaries, voting democratic in 2008 and 2010, and voting republican in 2012, 2014, and 2016. https://www.facebook.com/illinoissbe/videos/did-you-know-in-illinois-you-dont-have-to-declare-a-party-affiliation-when-regis/4036960579911878/  https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/elections/chicago-born-pope-leo-xiv-cast-ballot-recent-republican-primaries-illi-rcna205866

Answer 7

This is false. After looking through many news outlets like ABC news, USA Today and CBS news. It is not confirmed anywhere that Pope Leo is a registered republican.although according to USA Today he has previously voted for republican parties but is not registered with a certain party. The X thread is also not a reliable place to source info as anyone can post on X with no repercussions. 

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2025/05/09/pope-leo-chicago-voting-history-trump-vance/83534898007/ 

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/pope-leo-robert-prevost-voting-records-republican-democratic-primaries/

https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/pope-leo-xiv-voting-us-elections/story?id=121648673