It still may be hard to believe, but the new pope is from Chicago. In just a few days, those who consider Pope Leo XIV their own are headed to Rome for his installation ceremony. Six Augustinians from the Catholic Theological Union in Hyde Park,

A Chicago-born cardinal walks into a conclave. The rest of the joke tells itself. In the breathless day since Pope Leo XIV’s election as the first American pontiff, the memes, doctored images and tongue-in-cheek references have piled up deeper than Chicago’s pizza and more loaded than its hot dog.

In his first days as pope, Leo XIV has struck many as an unassuming man of quiet warmth and deeply rooted identity. A visit to the part of Chicago where the first American Pontiff was raised gives an idea of how he got that way.

Cardinal Blase Cupich, Archbishop of Chicago, said he expects Pope Leo XIV "feels an obligation," to speak to what he called the issues of the day, amid "real challenges globally."

Sox fans jumped on the news, posting tweets that the Cubs’ claim was premature. If it’s true he’s a Sox fan, Pope Leo XIV would be the team’s second representative of the Vatican after former Sox pitcher “The Pope” Donn Pall.

Abuse watchdog groups have expressed concern, but Leo has been lauded by other survivors for his handling of abuse.

The election of Chicago-born Cardinal Robert Prevost, now Pope Leo XIV, as the new pontiff has delighted Catholics and officials alike.

The contrast between President Trump and Chicago-born Pope Leo XIV couldn’t be more stark, politically, personally, or in their world views.