White Sox merch, giardiniera among Chicago-themed gifts delegation to present Pope Leo XIV

Alice Yin, Chicago Tribune on May 26, 2026

By clicking submit, I authorize Arcamax and its affiliates to: (1) use, sell, and share my information for marketing purposes, including cross-context behavioral advertising, as described in our Privacy Policy , (2) add to information that I provide with other information like interests inferred from web page views, or data lawfully obtained from data brokers, such as past purchase or location data, or publicly available data, (3) contact me or enable others to contact me by email or other means with offers for different types of goods and services, and (4) retain my information while I am engaging with marketing messages that I receive and for a reasonable amount of time thereafter. I understand I can opt out at any time through an email that I receive, or by clicking here

ROME — A White Sox-emblazoned kippah. A Chicago sanctuary city pin. Bottled giardiniera. But not a Cubs hat.

Those are some of the several personal items Chicago leaders have said they will hand-deliver to Pope Leo XIV on Thursday, when Mayor Brandon Johnson will lead a delegation to the Vatican in his biggest international trip so far.

The full group has not yet been revealed by Johnson’s team, but his communications director Erin Connelly did confirm that giardiniera from the renowned Italian market J.P. Graziano will be making an appearance among the many Chicago-themed gifts the Chicago-born pope will receive.

Connelly also said the mayor, who is a Chicago Cubs fan, will not be gifting Leo a hat with the insignia of the North Side team after talking about doing so in the run-up to the trip, saying that was a “joke.” But the city’s sports team will be representing, she said, and she expects the mayor will touch on baseball stats with the White Sox-cheering pontiff.

Johnson plans to focus his one-on-one with Leo on the pope’s sweeping encyclical released Monday that condemned the Holy See’s role in legitimizing slavery, while cautioning the public that today’s reliance on artificial intelligence could spell a new form of colonialism.

The historic apology is a natural fit for the progressive mayor and son of a pastor, who often leans into themes of racial justice in his rhetoric.

Connelly also nodded to the latest attack on Johnson from President Donald Trump — who has also criticized Leo — and suggested that his antagonism might come up.

After a driver struck five police officers who were clearing a West Side crowd over the weekend, Trump posted on Truth Social, “Teen takeover in Chicago. Five officers badly hurt. Mayor and Governor are terrible. Should call for help!”

The private meeting between the mayor and Leo will take place in the Vatican Apostolic Library Thursday afternoon, followed by the pope hosting the delegation of about 50 Chicagoans from the arenas of politics, business, religion, labor and more.

Besides meeting with the pope, Johnson and the group also plan to tour Rome with local officials, including City Council members there, to discuss sustainability, economic development, affordability and public transit.

Johnson will spend Friday with the Roman mayor, visiting sites including the new metro station at the Colosseum and extending an invitation for him to visit Chicago.

Chicago City Council members confirmed in attendance will be Alds. Julia Ramirez, who will bring her newborn son; Lamont Robinson; and Jason Ervin as well as his wife, city Treasurer Melissa Conyears-Ervin. Johnson’s top business liaison Charles Smith will also be part of the group.

Conyears-Ervin, who is Baptist, said she plans to bring with her a shirt touting the West Side because she wants to make “certain that we help to uplift and recognize the West Side of Chicago.” She too shared excitement over Leo’s encyclical and said his man-of-the-people persona is uniquely Chicagoan — fitting for the first American pope.

“He’s willing to take that additional step to show us that he recognizes the world we live in today,” Conyears-Ervin told the Tribune. “The pope shows us every day that you know what he’s doing, how religion applies to everyday life. That’s what I really can respect about him.”

Ramirez said she plans to bring a set of pins, one that will be a “sanctuary city” Chicago pin, another White Sox one that will say “South Siders” and a Chicago-style hot dog pin.

Rabbi Lizzie Heydemann said she will bring a kippah, a Jewish head covering, that has the White Sox logo, while Bishop Horace Smith said he will deliver his religious book “Blood Works.”

“People really are desperate to be part of something bigger than themselves,” Heydemann said. “Religion has been in the business of providing hope, and the question is, just what’s the vision that we’re mobilizing toward. And for me, and I think for the Pope as well, it’s a vision of sustainability for our planet, peace between peoples, including peoples who have had historic and deep conflicts.”

____