Overview
- NBC Chicago reports the governor met privately with Pope Leo XIV for about 40 minutes in Rome on Wednesday.
- Pritzker said they discussed the Trump administration’s deportation campaign in Chicago, adding the pope was pleased to hear there were fewer federal agents present and no National Guard deployment.
- The governor presented a formal invitation for a visit to Chicago and said the pope responded optimistically.
- Pritzker attended with his wife MK and chief of staff Anne Caprara, bringing gifts that included Burning Bush Brewery’s “Da Pope” beer, an artwork by an incarcerated woman, and two books.
- After the meeting, Pritzker posted that the pope’s message resonates with Illinoisans; Leo XIV is Chicago-born and the first American to lead the Catholic Church.