A Cubs mayor and a White Sox pope find common ground in private Vatican meeting

Pope is gifted Cubs merch and hometown condiment by Chicago mayor

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson met Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican and formally invited the pontiff — born Robert Prevost in Chicago's South Side in 1955 — to celebrate Mass in Grant Park in 2027, echoing John Paul II's 1979 visit. The invitation, paired with gifts ranging from Cubs jerseys to J.P. Graziano giardiniera, marks the second official U.S. overture to Leo XIV, signaling the political weight American cities are placing on engaging the first American-born pope.