Pope Leo XIV explained his decision to vote by mail in the US midterm elections by saying that he is proud of his American citizenship and wants to fulfill his civic duty, Reuters reports. "I am proud to be an American and to exercise this right," he told reporters on a flight from Rome to Uruguay. Born Robert Prevost in Chicago, he became the first American-born pope and the first pope to vote in a secular election while in office. His predecessors, including Francis, abstained from voting. RBC channel in "Max".