Pope Leo XIV meets with Mayor Brandon Johnson
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Pope Leo XIV at his weekly general audience Wednesday at St. Peter's Square in the Vatican. Photo: Massimo Valicchia/NurPhoto via Getty Images
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson is expected to discuss immigration and restorative justice in his meeting Thursday morning with Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican.
Why it matters: The first American pope meeting with his hometown mayor carries symbolic and political weight, highlighting shared views on immigration, social justice, and care for vulnerable communities.
State of play: The closed-door meeting will take place at 9am CST (4pm Vatican time) and be followed by a gathering with a larger delegation accompanying the mayor on the trip.
- World Business Chicago is sponsoring the trip.
Zoom in: Johnson has vigorously defended Chicago's sanctuary city status during his three-year tenure, beginning in 2022 when Texas sent thousands of migrants to Chicago, and throughout Operation Midway Blitz, when Trump unleashed federal law enforcement to sweep up immigrants across the city.
- Pope Leo has also been clear on how he feels about President Trump's tactics, including weighing in last November that local clergy should be allowed inside an immigrant holding facility in Broadview to offer pastoral care, as they had for many years.
Context: Leo's support of immigrants was expected when he was chosen last April as the first American pope. "The name Leo (was) from previous popes, especially the last Pope Leo, the 13th, heavily into social justice, preferential treatment for the poor, the rights of the voiceless. I think it's very important," Father Gregory Sakowicz told reporters at the time.
The latest: Johnson may also reference the pope's unprecedented public apology this week for the Vatican's role in slavery, as part of his appreciation for Leo's moral clarity, mayor's spokesperson Erin Connelly tells Axios.
- The mayor is not a Catholic but "a person of deep faith," Connelly adds.
What we're watching: The president once again this week attacked Chicago, Johnson and Gov. JB Pritzker for crime in the city, after a "teen takeover" last weekend, saying the city and state should ask for federal help.
- Trump has hit Leo on the same topic, calling the pope "weak on crime" last month.
- Johnson's approach to public safety and restorative justice to treating the person, rather than just the crime, parallels Leo's opposition to the death penalty, telling DePaul University that the church "affirm[s] that the dignity of the person is not lost even after very serious crimes are committed."
What's next: Johnson is planning on speaking to Chicago reporters traveling with him in Rome after his meeting.