When Pope John Paul II visited Chicago in 1979, an estimated 1.5 million people flocked to see the Holy Father, who said a three-hour Mass in Grant Park. This newspaper called it “the largest crowd ever assembled in one place in Chicago history.”

And for decades, a visit from the pope felt like the best Chicago Catholics could ever hope for.

Thursday, one of Chicago’s sons was elected pope in the Sistine Chapel. Few in his hometown could have imagined such an honor.

Thursday was a historic day not just for our city but for our country. In the Catholic Church’s 2,000-year history, Leo XIV is our first U.S. pontiff.

The news from Rome came as a shock after just over 24 hours of deliberation within the conclave. Thanks to the movie “Conclave,” many of us had expected the wait to be far longer. Either way, the conventional wisdom was that an American pope was out of the question. Prevost was considered a long shot by conclave watchers. (For whatever it’s worth, the gambling world placed long odds on a Prevost win, with at least two bettors bringing in over $50,000 on news of the new pope’s selection.)

The new Holy Father’s first words to the public in his new role were, “Peace be with all of you!” — a blessing he imparted to crowds of the faithful from the Central Loggia of St. Peter’s Basilica.

Yet before being named Leo, Robert Prevost was a Chicago boy.

The new pope was born in 1955 and raised in Dolton just south of Chicago city limits, to parents of French, Italian and Spanish descent. Prevost studied at the Minor Seminary of the Augustinian Fathers before attending Villanova University in Pennsylvania, where he earned a degree in mathematics in 1977 and also pursued studies in philosophy, according to the Vatican’s announcement. He went on to study theology at the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago. Prevost was ordained to the priesthood in Rome in 1982.

Prevost spent nearly two decades in missionary service in Peru, beginning in 1985 with roles such as parochial vicar and chancellor in Chulucanas, and later director of formation for Augustinian aspirants in Trujillo. After a period back in the United States, he returned in 2014 as apostolic administrator of the Diocese of Chiclayo, becoming its bishop the following year and serving until 2023. In recognition of his deep ties to the country, he was granted Peruvian citizenship in 2015. He was bishop of Chiclayo, Peru, from 2015 to 2023, and ordained a cardinal in 2024.

So what can we expect from Prevost? His Augustinian roots suggest discipline and seriousness. And his Chicago roots, say we, imply tenacity, strength and fearlessness.

Prevost is viewed as more of a centrist than Pope Francis, though he espouses many of the same compassionate positions as his predecessor, especially championing the causes of migrants and the poor. On other issues, such as women’s role in the church, we hear that Leo holds traditional views — again, in line with Pope Francis, who, for example, opposed ordaining women as deacons.

Hopeful Catholics regard Leo as a potential unifier of the church. He already has sent that message.

“God loves us, all of us, evil will not prevail,” he said Thursday in his first appearance as pontiff. “We are all in the hands of God. Without fear, united, hand in hand with God and among ourselves, we will go forward.”

We’ll find out more about Leo’s vision for his pontificate and the church in the days to come. For now, we celebrate, and our imaginations abound with what this historic news could mean for a city that needs a shot in the arm. As white smoke erupted, memes and reactions flooded phones on the shores of Lake Michigan.

A particular favorite among this board is that the new Popemobile will be a CTA bus.

The Chicago Cubs were quick to lay claim to Leo’s potential allegiance, especially since he was a son of the South Side. By Thursday afternoon, the Wrigley Field marquee proudly announced, “Hey, Chicago, He’s a Cubs fan!”

“Not only would we welcome Pope Leo XIV to Wrigley Field, he could sing ‘Take Me Out to the Ballgame,’” Cubs Chairman Tom Ricketts said in a hastily released statement. Don’t hold your breath for the Pope singing about Cracker Jack. But Ricketts’ other suggestion has more of a chance of bearing fruit. Maybe the Cubs, perennially in need of divine intervention, will now have a new pal in a high place.

“Since three of his predecessors visited Yankee Stadium, including Pope Paul VI, who delivered the 1965 ‘Sermon on the Mound,’ we would invite the Pontiff to do the same at the Friendly Confines,” Ricketts said, delivering an immediate invitation. Perhaps a double-header.

Out in the suburbs, meanwhile, an Itasca billboard along I-290 lit up the words “Da Pope” against a Chicago Bears backdrop of blue and orange.

“As a fellow Chicagoan, his appointment brings an extra joy to me,” said Bishop Thomas John Paprocki of the Diocese of Springfield, speaking for most all of us.

Mayor Brandon Johnson got in on the news, borrowing from the Chicago historian Sherman “Dilla” Thomas: “Everything dope, including the Pope, comes from Chicago! Congratulations to the first American Pope Leo XIV! We hope to welcome you back home soon,” Johnson wrote on X.

One devout Chicago Catholic told us she felt the decision is divine providence, trusting that Leo’s ascent is nothing short of the will of God.

We don’t pretend to know the will of God but we do wish that Leo will bring honor to our city, and give us an infusion of good news, goodwill and the catalyzing hope our city so sorely needs.

Chicago’s name gets kicked around a lot, dragged by people politically invested in our failure or decline. Now, along with having molded a two-term American president in Barack Obama, Chicago will further be known internationally as the city that nurtured a head of the Catholic Church.

What a great day for Chicago. What a special day for our strong Catholic community.

Prevost was a long-shot contender for the biggest job in the Catholic world. We Chicagoans love a good underdog. We wouldn’t have had it any other way.

Welcome and God bless you, Pope Leo XIV. Come home soon.

_____

©2025 Chicago Tribune. Visit at chicagotribune.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.