Mayor Brandon Johnson will travel to Rome later this month to visit Pope Leo XIV.
Johnson’s first visit with the pontiff will happen “before the end of the month,” the mayor’s office told the Sun-Times.
“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 during an interview with NBC5. “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.”
The mayor’s office said World Business Chicago will cover the expenses for the trip. NBC5 reports Johnson’s meeting with the pope is currently scheduled for May 28.
Pope Leo, formerly Cardinal Robert Prevost, is the first U.S.-born pope and an avid White Sox fan. During his first year of papacy, he has spoken out on a range of issues, including President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown and the war in Iran.
Johnson is not the first Illinois politician to visit “Da Pope,” a nickname the pontiff earned from Chicago fans. Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias and Gov. JB Pritzker are among those who have also traveled to the Vatican to meet with him.