A White Sox Pope and a Cubs Mayor Find Common Ground in a Private Vatican Meeting
Johnson gave Pope Leo XIV a Key to the City and Chicago-themed gifts as the mayor seeks a 2027 Mass in Grant Park.
- On Thursday, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson met privately with Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican and presented him with a Key to the City of Chicago, inviting the pontiff to return home for Mass in Grant Park next year.
- Born in Chicago and raised in south suburban Dolton, Leo became the first American pope in May 2025, making this meeting significant for Johnson's efforts to discuss shared priorities on immigrant rights and social justice.
- Accompanied by a 46-member delegation of community, religious, and business leaders, Johnson presented Chicago-themed gifts including local giardiniera, Cubs and White Sox apparel, and letters from families of detained immigrants expressing gratitude for the pope's leadership.
- During their meeting, Johnson and Leo discussed elevating awareness of humanitarian crises in Haiti, Venezuela, and Cuba, with the mayor emphasizing his administration's commitment to championing justice for vulnerable populations.
- Echoing Pope John Paul II's 1979 visit to Grant Park, Johnson invited Leo to deliver Mass there in 2027, recalling that historic moment as the most spiritually inspiring day in Chicago history.
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CTU President Stacy Davis Gates’ travel with Mayor Brandon Johnson to meet Chicago-born Pope Leo draws mixed response – ABC7 (Chicago)
"It seems like bad timing, and it seems hypocritical. It was just two weeks ago that Stacey Davis Gates was in front of the Chicago school board saying this is a five-alarm fire and we need water from Springfield. So you guys need to go down to Springfield," Chicago Policy Center Executive Director Austin Berg said.
The Daily Advance
A White Sox pope and a Cubs mayor find common ground in a private Vatican meeting
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson met with Pope Leo XIV, a lifelong White Sox fan, and gave him a Cubs hat. The pope humorously noted he's already wearing a cap, his white zucchetto, and said it was good that the meeting…
National Catholic Register
catholicworldreport.comPope Leo XIV Meets With Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson
Pope Leo XIV on May 26, 2026, and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson on Oct. 24, 2025. The Pontiff met with Johnson at the Vatican on May 28 and was formally invited to visit his native city next year.
Associated Press News
Chicago mayor invites Pope Leo XIV to visit his native city next year
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson has invited Pope Leo XIV to visit his hometown next year. During a private meeting at the Vatican on Thursday, Johnson presented a letter recalling Pope John Paul II’s 1979 visit to Chicago, describing it as a spiritually inspiring day.
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