Patrick tackled one of the strangest questions to hit the Wall Street Journal lately:
Does the first American Pope have to file U.S. taxes?
It’s not as simple as “render unto Caesar.”
🧾 Wait… The IRS and the Pope?!
Here’s the deal: Patrick explains that U.S. citizens have to file taxes, even if they don’t live in the country. So technically, yes, Pope Leo XIV might be required to file a return.
But… he’s also a religious with a vow of poverty, meaning he doesn’t personally own anything. Any stipend or salary he’s ever received has gone to the Order of St. Augustine, which is tax-exempt.
So, the IRS probably isn’t expecting a form from the Vatican anytime soon.
🍬 What Would He Even Spend Money On?
Patrick and Cyrus had fun imagining Pope Leo walking into a shop in his white cassock and trying to buy a candy bar:
“Are you going to ring him up at the register, or just say, ‘Holy Father, it’s yours. Please just bless my store!’” 😂
The Pope doesn’t exactly need a paycheck. His lodging, food, clothing… it’s all provided. There’s just not a lot of financial action happening in papal life.
Should He File Anyway?
Some tax experts say yes, just to be safe:
-Filing protects against identity theft.
-It starts the clock on the IRS’s audit window.
-It shows civic responsibility, even if no taxes are owed.
But Patrick’s guess is:
“Pope Leo’s not going to sit at his desk with a calculator and TurboTax open.”
Is the IRS going to arrest the Pope for skipping a W-2?
Very unlikely.
But it’s a funny, very modern dilemma that shows what happens when centuries of tradition meet the fine print of U.S. tax law.
And as Cyrus put it: “You’re the Pope. You don’t have to file.”
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