He is this city’s native son, a quintessential South Sider and a devoted White Sox fan with a penchant for pepperoni pizza. In Chicago’s muscular vernacular, Pope Leo XIV is “Da Pope.”
The Vatican announced in February that there will be no papal trips to the United States this year and, therefore, to his hometown. But when Leo eventually comes here, you can expect one of the grandest welcome parties and celebrations since Barack Obama won the 2008 presidential election.
An open-air Mass in downtown Grant Park would likely draw even more than the 250,000 communicants — who were served by 600 priests — in the park when Pope John Paul II celebrated Mass there on Oct. 5, 1979.
Since his surprise election last year, Chicagoans have had great fun proudly proclaiming Pope Leo XIV né Robert “Bob” Prevost as one of their own. The White Sox, his favorite team, (the Cubs are his mother’s preferred club) have produced merchandise emblazoned with Leo references.
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With thanks to National Catholic Reporter and Rone Tempest, where this article originally appeared.
