Mayor Brandon Johnson of Chicago is preparing for a significant meeting with Pope Leo XIV this Thursday. As the first Chicago native to hold the papal office, Pope Leo XIV will host the mayor in a private session at the Vatican Apostolic Library.
This meeting marks a notable occasion, as it is the first time a Chicago mayor has visited the Vatican since Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s meeting with Pope Francis in 2016. Mayor Johnson is expected to engage in discussions on a variety of topics with the pope, underscoring the importance of this cross-continental dialogue.
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In honor of Pope Leo XIV’s Chicago roots, Mayor Johnson and his team plan to present the pope with a selection of gifts emblematic of their shared city. Among these tokens are giardiniera, a staple in Chicago’s culinary scene, and merchandise from the Chicago Cubs, reflecting the city’s rich sports culture.
This will be the first time a Chicago mayor has visited the pope since then Mayor Rahm Emanuel met with Pope Francis at the Vatican in 2016.
Mayor Johnson and his team will be bringing the pope a few gifts for the Chicago-born pope, including giardiniera and Cubs merch.
Johnson said he plans to thank the Catholic leader for his advocacy, including pushing back against the U.S. war in Iran and President Trump’s immigration policies and actions carried out during Operation Midway Blitz.
“I am going to thank him for his courage and his strength particularly his moral stance around these endless wars, his stances around protecting workers, his clarity around the dreadful and the most barbaric form of slavery and offering up that apology and recognition and the role that slavery has played in the harm that has been caused for generations,” Johnson said.
The trip is funded and led by World Business Chicago, an economic development agency in the city.
Besides meeting with Pope Leo, Johnson plans on touring Rome to discuss sustainability, economic development, affordability, and public transit.
Johnson plans to also spend the day with the Roman mayor, and extending an invite to come visit Chicago.
Mayor Johnson will return to Chicago on Saturday.
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