Chicagoan Delivers Deep Dish to the Pope in St. Peter’s Square
A deep-dish delivery to St. Peter’s Square reminds us that Pope Leo hasn’t forgotten where he came from.
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In a moment that blended the ordinary with the extraordinary, Pope Leo was handed a deep-dish pizza today — right in the middle of St. Peter’s Square.
Captured in a viral image already making the rounds online, the Chicago-born pope was seen smiling with a slice in hand, a striking visual of his down-to-earth demeanor amid the grandeur of his role.
The gesture wasn’t random.
The pizza came courtesy of Aurelio’s, a Chicago institution that recently introduced the “Poperoni Pizza” in his honor.
Featuring the chain’s signature cup-and-crisp pepperoni, the pie is now on offer in suburban Chicago in La Grange, Oakbrook, Hammond, and South Holland.
The rollout might seem like a marketing gimmick, but it’s also a nod to the pope’s roots — a hometown homage that captures the affection many Chicagoans feel for their native son turned pontiff.
Pope Leo’s fondness for pizza is no secret.
During a recent visit to Rome, I stopped by L’Isola della Pizza, a modest restaurant a few blocks from the Vatican that’s known to be a personal favorite of his.
It’s not flashy, but it’s reliable — good pizza, fair prices, and a local vibe that stands out in a part of the city otherwise overrun by tourist fare. You can imagine the pope ducking in for a quiet meal, no fanfare, just a bit of normalcy.
His culinary tastes reflect his personal story.
Though born in Chicago, Pope Leo holds dual citizenship in Peru, and his food preferences mirror that cultural bridge.
His brother Louis once shared that the pope takes his Chicago-style hot dogs the proper way — no ketchup — offering a subtle hint at his continued loyalty to Midwestern staples.
The delivery today is a lighthearted moment. But it also reflects the kind of accessible, human leadership Pope Leo has come to embody.
At a time when the Church faces deep challenges, images like this cut through the noise. They show a man who hasn’t lost touch with where he came from — or with the people he now leads.
Because sometimes, the most powerful image of papal leadership isn’t a speech or a blessing. It’s the Vicar of Christ, receiving a box of deep dish pepperoni pizza, reminding the world that holiness and humor aren’t mutually exclusive.
[MAJOR UPDATE 3:47 PM EDT: An eagle-eyed reader notes that the poperoni pizza at Aurelio’s doesn’t appear to be deep dish, so we’re not sure what kind of pizza was delivered to the Holy Father. If any investigators can solve this mystery for us, please leave a comment below.]
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Paid subscriptions start at only $6.67 per month and will get you full access to the ongoing Fath and the Democratic Party essays and this multi-part series on the life and formation of Pope Leo.
The fourth installment — chronicling his 20-year friendship with Pope Francis — was published on Monday.
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WONDERFUL STORY. When a pope and a pizza make headlines, you know that hearts all over the world are SMILING and connecting at this very moment
I lived in Chicago for a few years and lived on stuffed spinach/mushroom pizza from Giordano’s! Thx for sharing this uplifting story! 😋