教宗良因「我以身為美國人為榮」在美國期中選舉投票

作者：約書亞・麥克艾爾威（Joshua McElwee）By Joshua McElwee

教宗專機上，11月6日（路透社）——教宗良週五表示，他決定在美國期中選舉以郵寄方式投票，成為天主教領袖的歷史性首例，是因為他以身為美國公民為榮，並希望履行公民責任。ABOARD THE PAPAL FLIGHT, Nov 6 (Reuters) - Pope Leo said on Friday he had decided to cast a ballot by mail in the US midterm elections in an historic first for a Catholic leader because he feels pride in being a US citizen and wanted to do his civic duty.

「我以身為美國人並行使這項權利為榮，」首位美國出生的教宗良在從羅馬飛往烏拉圭的班機上告訴一名記者。他將在烏拉圭展開雄心勃勃、為期12天的南美洲行程。"I'm proud to be an American and to exercise the right," Leo, the first US-born pope, told a journalist aboard his flight from Rome to Uruguay, where he is opening an ambitious 12-day trip across South America.

良出生於芝加哥，原名羅伯・普雷沃斯特（Robert Prevost），很可能是史上第一位在任內參與世俗選舉投票的教宗。過去的天主教領袖，包括良的前任、出身阿根廷的教宗方濟各（Pope Francis），都避免投票。Leo, born in Chicago as Robert Prevost, is likely the first pope to ever vote in a secular election while pontiff. Previous Catholic leaders, including Pope Francis, Leo's predecessor who was originally from Argentina, had refrained from voting.

芝加哥以南威爾郡（Will County）的地方官員上週已證實，良申請了期中選舉的郵寄選票。梵蒂岡10月30日表示，教宗相信「公民有權利也有義務參與民主程序」。Local officials in Will County, south of Chicago, had confirmed last week that Leo requested a mail-in ballot for the midterms. The Vatican said on October 30 that the pope believed "in the right and the duty of citizens to participate in democratic processes."

記者詢問他對德州選舉結果的看法，當地民主黨人在全國性選舉勝利浪潮中贏得州長職位和一席美國參議院席次；良表示他不予評論。Asked by a journalist his thoughts on the election results in Texas, where Democrats won the governorship and a US senate seat as part of a national wave of electoral success, Leo said he had no comment.

教宗身為全球14億信徒教會的領袖，通常避免發表任何明顯帶有政治色彩的言論。不過，良先前曾嚴厲批評伊朗戰爭，引發總統唐納・川普（Donald Trump）不滿。The pope, leader of the global 1.4-billion-member Church, typically avoids any overtly political statements. Leo however has previously drawn the ire of President Donald Trump after sharply criticizing the Iran war.

（約書亞・麥克艾爾威報導；Kylie Madry編輯）(Reporting by Joshua McElwee; Editing by Kylie Madry)