Chicago’s South Side was solidly working class during Pope Leo’s childhood, said Rob Paral, a researcher at the Great Cities Institute at the University of Illinois Chicago. The family attended a South Side church, but they lived in Dolton, a suburb just past the city line.

In a place where civic pride is a way of life, Chicagoans need little help believing the election of Pope Leo shows their city is among God’s favorites.

Obvious Shirts prayers for a papal profit have been answered with orders for their "Da Pope" Bears-themed shirt.

He is a man formed by his experience in the church of Chicago, especially the south side,’ writes Mark Francis, CSV.

A s Pope Leo XIV settles into his new role as leader of 1.3 billion Catholics worldwide, his decision about where to hang his zucchetto might reveal more about his papacy than any

In 2023, he was summoned back to Rome by Pope Francis and appointed prefect of the dicastery for bishops. He was tasked with the role of finding prospects for new leaders of the c