Robert Prevost’s Catholic roots were planted in Chicago’s south side suburbs, where he grew up playing “pretend priest” and embodies the spirit of a “second Pope

Sports fans had one question when Cardinal Robert Prevost of Chicago was elected as the new pope: What are his favorite teams?

Not long after the white smoke billowed from the Sistine Chapel chimney in Vatican City and news broke that Robert Prevost had become the first head of the Catholic church to hail from the United States,

Taking the name Leo XIV, the American was elected to be the 267th pontiff and spiritual leader of the world's 1.4 billion Roman Catholics.

Cardinals, including Chicago Cardinal Blase Cupich at left, appear at the Vatican on May 8, 2025, after the election of Cardinal Robert Prevost as the 267th pope. He chose the name Pope Leo XIV.

Chicago-born Cardinal Robert Prevost was named Thursday as the first ever American pope – and folks in the Windy City are having a blast over it. “From now on, all communion wafers shall be deep dish,

Those who knew Pope Leo XIV as a younger man say his path to the papacy has prepared him well for the challenges ahead.

Patrick Feltz, 28, of Villa Park, sports his homemade pope hat while waiting to enter Rate Field in Chicago for a baseball game between the Chicago White Sox and the Miami Marlins on May 10, 2025. It took Feltz 15 minutes to make the pope hat by following instructions from a Youtube video. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune)