Pope Leo XIV’s historic rise forges special Vatican connections for Chicago – Chicago Tribune
Hello, Chicago.
The Chicago area erupted in joy May 8 with the announcement that Robert Francis Prevost — born in Bronzeville and raised in south suburban Dolton — was chosen as the 267th pope and leader of the world’s approximately 1.4 billion Catholics.
“It made the people of Chicago proud that we had produced a pope,” recalled Cardinal Blase Cupich, who participated in the historic papal conclave that chose Prévost.
Yet the election of a new pope with local roots and tastes — an affinity for Aurelio’s Pizza and cheering for the White Sox, Bulls and Bears — has, in many ways, raised Chicago’s image on a global scale.
Leo’s selection also forged deeper ties between Chicago and Vatican City.
Read the full story from the Tribune’s Angie Leventis Lourgos.
Here are the top news stories you need to know to start your day, including the DOJ saying it may take “a few more weeks” to complete the release of the Epstein files, the NBA on Christmas and what to do in Chicago this weekend.
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Faithful return to Bethlehem and Pope Leo XIV celebrates his first Christmas mass at Saint-Pierre
Thousands of people gathered in Bethlehem’s Manger Square on Christmas Eve as families there and at other sites in the Holy Land heralded a much-needed boost in festive spirit, after two years of subdued celebrations due to the war in Gaza.
At the Vatican, Pope Leo XIV presided over his first midnight mass in St. Peter’s Basilica. In his homily, he marveled at the “wisdom” of the Christmas story: a baby Jesus born to save humanity.
“Faced with the suffering of the poor, (God) sends the defenseless to have the strength to rise,” the first American pope declared in front of a crowded basilica.
Bethlehem, where Christians believe Jesus was born, had canceled Christmas celebrations during the war. But yesterday, the giant Christmas tree returned to Manger Square, temporarily replacing the war nativity scene of the baby Jesus surrounded by rubble and barbed wire in homage to the suffering in Gaza.
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After Missing Deadline, DOJ Says It May Take ‘A Few More Weeks’ to Complete Release of Epstein Files
The Justice Department said it may take “a few more weeks” to release all of its files on late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein after suddenly uncovering more than a million potentially relevant documents, further delaying meeting a deadline set by Congress last Friday.
Bison Return to Kane County After 200 Years, a Crucial Milestone for Conservation and Indigenous Connections
From their comfortable homes in suburban Burlington, the children peer curiously at their new neighbors through windows and brainstorm nicknames.
Earlier this month, with their distinctive brown fur, large heads, short horns and dorsal hump, a small herd of six American buffalo — the nation’s largest land mammals — emerged from a trailer and took their first steps on 38 acres of prairie restored by the Kane County Forest Preserve District, 60 miles northwest of downtown Chicago. This is the first time in more than two centuries that bison have inhabited the county.
Inches of snow had accumulated on the ground and conservationists had waited hours in the brutal cold for the animals to appear.
The move was a repatriation, a return of missing loved ones, according to Jay Young, co-executive director of the American Indian Center of Chicago, which owns the animals as part of the collaborative conservation effort.
The Chicago Tribune’s Big Holiday News Quiz 2025
The biggest and perhaps hardest current affairs quiz of the year is here for your seasonal pleasure!
The news never stopped this year. But how attentive were you?
Test your knowledge with our annual quiz and don’t hesitate to ask your loved ones for help. But no Google searches or AI prompts are allowed. Friends don’t let friends use ChatGPT.
NBA at Christmas: LeBron James’ 20th appearance on Dec. 25 highlights handful of holiday games
The schedule, with all central times: Cleveland Cavaliers at New York Knicks starts at 11 a.m., followed by Spurs at Thunder at 1:30 p.m., Dallas Mavericks at Golden State Warriors at 4 p.m., Houston Rockets at Los Angeles Lakers at 7 p.m. and Minnesota Timberwolves at Denver Nuggets at 9:30 p.m.
Chicago Bears DE Austin Booker says NFL fined him $5,000 each for 2 roughing penalties on Jordan Love
Chicago Bears defensive end Austin Booker was flagged for roughing the passer on the Green Bay Packers’ third offensive play, when quarterback Jordan Love threw an incomplete throw to Romeo Doubs on third-and-1 from the Bears’ 44-yard line.
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Homewood Beyond the Book bookstore is a dream come true for a Flossmoor resident
Tenia Davis has been an executive in the human resources field for years. Harpo Productions, Johnson Publishing Company, and the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago are just a few of the places she has worked.
The Flossmoor resident is a leadership development expert who has written books on the subject to help organizations succeed. With an MBA from Loyola University and a Masters and Doctor of Philosophy in Values-Driven Leadership from Benedictine University, Davis decided to step away from the C-suite and focus on retail with his own bookstore, Beyond the Book, A Literary Experience.
Review: “Song Sung Blue” hits a winning note, based on a true story
“Song Sung Blue” — a movie about real-life Milwaukee Neil Diamond tribute band Lighting and Thunder — could have gone wrong in any number of ways. The premise alone could be a “Saturday Night Live” sketch, and in a different world the movie would be a big comedy starring Will Ferrell. Instead, it hews closer to tragedy and stars Hugh Jackman (who couldn’t do irony if he tried) as Mike Sardina, aka Lightning, and Kate Hudson, as Mike’s devoted wife and bandmate, Claire, aka Thunder.
Review: Timothée Chalamet is really great in the kenetic ‘Marty Supreme’
“Marty Supreme” is a truly stunning American epic about finally learning that hustle will never love you back – even though pursuing it can be a pleasure, at least for a moment. In this distressing portrait of the corrosive nature of American capitalism, sports are only a vessel, but it’s still the kind of film that will make you want to stand up and applaud.
What to do in Chicago: Harlem Globetrotters, Trans-Siberian Orchestra and holiday magic
Here are our picks for events in and around Chicago this weekend.
