A Beer Created in Chicago Is Dedicated to Leo XIV

(ZENIT News / Rome, 11. 30, 2025) – Governor JB Pritzker of Illinois visited Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican on Wednesday, November 19, and presented him with cans of beer from the Burning Bush Brewery, based in Chicago, the Pontiff’s hometown. He also invited the Pope to visit Chicago.

The gifted beer is a very specific one: it’s called Da Pope. It’s dark in colour, light-bodied, and easy to drink. The can features an image of a Pope with the colours of the Chicago flag on his back. The name Da Pope was inspired by Pope Leo XIV and refers to a television segment that began in 1991, which ridiculed the Chicago accent by calling the city’s football team «Da Bears.»

Pritzker invited Pope Leo to visit Chicago, noting that the city since the Pope’s election has been «in a positive sense, chaotic.» The Governor joked with the Pope, who could «enjoy or at least display» the four-pack of Da Pope beers. Leo XIV replied, «We’ll put them in the refrigerator.»

The Governor of Illinois commented that it was an honour to meet the Pope, whom he called «a son of Illinois» and «a champion of the poor and less fortunate.» He visited the Vatican accompanied by his wife, MK Pritzker, and they discussed, he stated, the recent crackdown on immigrants by the Trump Administration in the Chicago area, an action that Pritzker criticizes almost daily.

«The message of hope, compassion, unity, and peace from Pope Leo XIV resonates among the people of Illinois of all faiths and traditions,» Pritzker said. Cardinal Blase Cupich facilitated the private meeting with the Governor, who has also repeatedly condemned the Trump Administration’s immigration policies.

Pritzker’s wife presented a work of art by an immigrant woman incarcerated at Logan prison in the southern part of the state, depicting how her life has changed since she was incarcerated.