Mayor Brandon Johnson, Chicago delegation arrive in Rome ahead of meeting with Pope Leo XIV
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson arrived in Italy Thursday morning, preparing to meet with Pope Leo XIV.
The mayor touched down after an overnight flight. He will have some time to rest, because the audiences with the pope are taking place in the late afternoon.
Local time in Rome is seven hours ahead of that of Chicago.
The mayor will first meet individually with the pope, and then the pope will meet with the 46-member delegation from Chicago that the mayor is leading.
The delegation includes a mix of community, religious, and business leaders.
Representing the City of Chicago in addition to Mayor Johnson are Deputy Mayor Max Budovich, city Treasurer Melissa Conyers Ervin, Ald. Lamont Robinson (4th), Ald. Julia Ramirez (12th), and Ald. Jason Ervin (28th), and Chicago Department of Environment Commissioner Angela Tovar, among others.
From the business community, the delegation includes representatives of United Airlines, the Chicago Sky, and the food and facilities firm SodexoMagic.
From the religious educational community, the delegation includes Loyola University Chicago President Dr. Mark Reed, DePaul University President Dr. Robert Manuel, Yusef Jackson of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, Father Juan Vargas of Our Lady of the Rosary, and the Rev. Stephen Thurston, pastor of New Covenant Baptist Church.
Complete list of the Chicago delegation in Rome
On Wednesday before Mayor Johnson arrived, members of the delegation toured sustainability facilities with their counterparts from the City of Rome.
The joint effort was an opportunity to see the efforts that both cities take when it comes to supporting sustainable projects for both the environment and social justice.
As to the broader messages of this trip, it is certainly a sign of prestige and support for Chicago city representatives to have an audience with the pope — especially when the pope is American and hails from Chicago.
But the visit can also be seen as a sign from the city to the Vatican that it supports, in a broad way, the initiatives Pope Leo XIV is supporting — his calls for peace and social justice and universal love.
Just what will the mayor and the pope discuss? One topic is sure to be the pope's apology on Monday for its role in the past in legitimizing slavery dating back to the 15th century, which was historic.
Also likely to be discussed are the pope's calls for social justice and how that might impact Chicago, and the de-arming of AI and its impact on modern life.
Meanwhile, it wouldn't be a meeting among Chicagoans without some sort of sports talk. We know Mayor Johnson is bringing sports tchotchkes that include a fine representation of the city's many teams.
