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Hours after the cardinals voted to name the first American in heading the Catholic Church, the hometown of Leo XIV of Chicago was consumed by an existential question: What baseball team did the Pope support?
Chicago is A Catholic citywith a third of the population of the metropolitan area that is identified as such. It is also a sports city, with fierce loyalties to the two baseball teams of the city that divide the north and south sides. The first reports affirmed that Cardinal Robert Prevost, now Pope, was a fan of northern puppies, before an interview with the pontiff’s brother correct the record. The new leader of the world of the world of 1.4 billion has lived a lot the white socks of the south side.
So that he is not accused of giving false testimony, the exuberant message “Hi, Chicago, is a fan of puppies!” Illuminating historical marquesine in Wrigley Field disappeared quickly. On the other side of the city, at the Stadium of the White Sox, fans were seen in games with complete papal gala.
Last week, when Catholics around the world heard the traditional declaration “Habemus Papam (we have a Pope), the inhabitants of Chicago listened a lot”us Having a Pope. ”How could we not? Prevost was born in a hospital within the boundaries of the city, grew in the South Suburbs, he studied at the Catholic Theological Union of Hyde Park and taught mathematics and physics as a substitute teacher in the Augustinian St Rita of Cascia High School.” Father Bob “even visited the local aurelio chain for Pizza when he was in the city last year.
The announcement surprised the city as much as the world. Adrienne Alexander, a member of the Board of the Catholic Work Network, told his brother “in no way” when he suggested the following dad could be AmericanOnly to receive his “Lol” text when the news occurred. “My little brother was right to consider … that the Holy Spirit could laugh at us,” he said.
When Prevost appeared on the balcony of the Basilica of San Pedro, Chicago, and I say this with love, collectively lost its heads. God will have to forgive us for memes and merchandise.
TO mail In X it represented a Eucharistic and chalice toilet as a square cut pizza (a style that many here prefer deep dishes) and a bottle of the disgusting marsh of the local liquor. The famous Wieners Circle’s hot dog support aware “CANES NOS IPSE COMEDIT” on its outdoor marquee sign: “It has eaten our dogs.”
The Chicago Sun-Times evoked the nickname of the city’s football team, “Da Bears”, to write a headline for the ages presenting: “Da Pope!” The obvious shirts revealed a pontiff collection in the colors of three of the city’s sports teams, including one in Cubbie Blue Reading: “The Pope is a SOX fan remains better than being a cardinal”, a jab in the Redbird rival events of the st Louis puppies.
Aurelio’s customers can now ask for the pizza “Poperoni”, and last week the popular local chain Portillo debuted “The Leo”, describing it as “Italian flesh divinely seasoned, baptized in salsa.”
Some 150 congregants appeared for the 8 am Mass in the Holy Name Cathedral in Chicago the day after the Premost selection, a full house for a service from Monday to Friday. “There is a natural inclination … so that we are grateful for a Chicago partner to be chosen the supreme pontiff,” said Bishop Larry Sullivan during his homily. “I understand how important it is to be able to celebrate that, have that pride of the city.”
Chicago, after all, is a place where people tattoo with the flag of the city. The third largest city in the United States, Chicago, has always been a bit coarse for the coastal dismissal of those in New York and Los Angeles that routinely ignore 2.7 million people. Then, being pushed to the center of global news has been fun. Internal jokes about baseball loyalty are a way of saying “He is ours.”
But, of course, Leo XIV is not only ours, and not only because he spent more than two decades as a missionary and later bishop in Peru, where he is a naturalized citizen. Elizabeth Glennon, who attended Friday Mass in the Cathedral, said “everyone is trying to claim it, but he is Pope for everyone.”
Very sure. But I bet that the Sox, who last year recorded one of the worst seasons in the history of baseball with 41 victories and 121 losses, still rejoice that the Pope is on his side.