Leader of the Free World

A reader responds:

Thanks for posting the D'Agata essay.  One very minor thing jumped out at me, but something I've never really thought of before. 

The president of the United States is often described as "the leader of the free world."  See D'Agata:  "met the first African American man to lead the free world ...." 

True enough, I guess, if the world is seen as populated by countries.  But the world is populated by ... people.

So, couldn't the Pope be properly described as "the leader of the (truly) free world".

Just a thought.