"It's very special, for our country and especially for our city,” a parishioner at the Shrine of Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini says on the day that Pope Leo XIV is installed as leader of the Catholic Church.

The election of Pope Leo XIV as the first-American pontiff shocked the world, and Chicago residents rejoiced in the Holy See’s ties to the Windy City.

Following the death of Pope Francis in late April, the Vatican concluded its conclave this week by electing Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost as the 267th pope, naming him Pope Leo XIV. A Chicago native,

"The Pope is from Chicago. This is one of the biggest moments in the modern history of our city," said Mayor Brandon Johnson in a statement.

Bishop Thomas John Paprocki of the Diocese of Springfield released a statement expressing profound joy and deep gratitude to God for the election.

As soon as I heard (on social media) that white smoke wafted through the Vatican, I turned on the TV set and didn’t move — and not just because Pumpkin

Readers are surprised to see a selection from the United States, proud of the Chicago connection and full of mixed feelings about perceived similarities to Pope Francis.