Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson has announced he’s going to Rome to meet Pope Leo XIV — and he’s bringing with him an unexpected gift, the mayor told NBC 5 in an exclusive interview Wednesday.
Affectionately known as “Da Pope,” the meeting, set for May 28, will mark Johnson’s first visit with the Chicago’s own pontiff, a noted Sox fan and native of a southern suburb. Johnson will travel to Rome from May 26-30, he said.
“I am just elated that the pope is from Chicago, right? And so I’m looking forward to this visit at the end of the month,” Johnson said. “And the first thing that I’m going to say to him? I’m going to thank him for his moral clarity, standing up for the most vulnerable, making sure that the people who are the least of these have more than what they need.”
Johnson isn’t the first Illinois politician to greet Pope Leo, with previous visits from Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias and Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, among others. But his visit comes amid reports of tensions between the Vatican and the White House.
President Donald Trump’s continuing criticisms and Leo’s increasingly bold retorts overshadowed Friday’s anniversary of Leo’s election.
Leo spent the eve of the one-year mark meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who had come to the Vatican on a fence-mending visit.
It’s all a bit out of character for Leo who — the world has come to learn in this first year — is at heart a mild-mannered, 70-year-old Midwestern missionary priest, and a reserved one at that. He likes to play the solitary game of tennis, cites the fifth-century philosopher St. Augustine from memory and insists he is merely quoting the Bible when he calls for peace.
It was not immediately clear what Johnson plans to discuss in his meeting, but Chicago’s mayor is already thinking about what he plans to bring with him.
“It seems like he’s had it all. He’s had hot dogs and Italian beef, he’s got his Nike’s … I’m going to be honest with you. You know what I’m going to bring to him? I’m going to bring him a Cubs hat,” Johnson said. “I’m not sure if he’s going to wear it, but I’m going to bring the one.”
While Johnson doesn’t anticipate a contentious meeting, he did note there’s at least one thing he and Pope Leo will likely disagree on.
“Our biggest disagreement is likely going to be the Cubs and the Sox, even though his Sox are playing well lately,” he said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
