Chicago celebrates cultural victory with native son, Pope Leo XIV

*chicago bears voice* DA POPE TIZIANA FABI/AFP via Getty Images/AFP hide caption toggle caption TIZIANA FABI/AFP via Getty Images/AFP As much as the news media serves to inform the public, we’re also here to give you something to talk about. Learning about the world around us provides the connective tissue for spirited interactions and growing deeper bonds with each other. What are you going to bring up at the dinner table to get the conversation flowing? Did you read that article everybody has been talking about, too? Main Character of the Week These Australian twins have gone viral after speaking in synch Who is it? Well, this week’s main character is related to Pope Leo XIV, who was elected on the second day of voting during the papal conclave. But the real main star that has come out of this week’s online chatter is the illustrious Midwestern city of Chicago, Illinois. What’s the big deal? In layman’s terms, you could say that Chicago stays winning. What other city can claim to be the incubator for a pope, a former U.S. president and a conceptual Sufjan Stevens album? Sponsor Message Main Character of the Week Gorillas have a big fight ahead of them, and it’s not against 100 men, expert says What are people saying? They’re talking a lot about Malört, the Chicago famous booze, hot dogs and general cultural supremacy. DA POPE! BREAK OUT THE MALORT BOYS WE GOT A CHICAGO POPE— america’s gassy lounge singer (@KrangTNelson) May 8, 2025 Translation: He has eaten our dogs#chicagopope pic.twitter.com/AXnRL4FzaV— The Wieners Circle (@TheWienerCircle) May 8, 2025 So, what now? Pope Leo’s next few weeks will be filled with all of the administrative bits and bobs required from any new job — that includes his uniform, his ring and his schedule. He’s also the first pope with a digital footprint, and as internet sleuths try to build an idea of what kind of pope he might be, some have already found answers to the questions they think are most important: Sox or Cubs?