CNA Newsroom, Nov 19, 2025 /
14:23 pm
Pope Leo XIV met with the governor of his native Illinois, JB Pritzker, on Wednesday at the Vatican. The first lady of the U.S. state known as “The Land of Lincoln,” MK Pritzker, accompanied the governor during his visit.
“It was an honor for MK and me to meet with @Pontifex — a son of Illinois — to express the pride and reverence of the people of this great state,” Pritzker, who is Jewish, said following the meeting in a social media post.
A statement from the governor’s office said: “As the first American pope, a native Illinoisan, and an advocate for the poor and less fortunate, Pope Leo XIV serves as a true inspiration to people of all faiths. His message of hope, unity, compassion, and peace resonates in his home state of Illinois and across the globe.”
Invitation to return to hometown
In an interview with NBC Chicago following his audience, Gov. Pritzker said that during the meeting he presented Pope Leo with an invitation to return to his hometown of Chicago. While the pope didn’t express a timetable for the prospective visit, Pritzker said the pope “was optimistic that he would be coming to Chicago.”
“We share a great love of the state and the city,” Pritzker said, adding that the pope “seems like he carries his heart on his sleeve and of course he carries Chicago on his sleeve, too.”
Immigration discussion
During the 40-minute meeting, which Pritzker said was arranged by Cardinal Blase Cupich of Chicago, the governor said that he and the pontiff also discussed the immigration enforcement actions that have been taking place in the city, with Pritzker saying that he expressed his gratitude for the pope’s “moral leadership on this issue.”
Pritzker offered the pope several gifts including a framed piece of art made from an incarcerated woman at Logan Correctional Facility, the book “Lincoln: The Life and Legacy that Defined a Nation” by Ian Hunt, the book “A House That Made History: The Illinois Governor’s Mansion, Legacy of an Architectural Treasure” written by Illinois First Lady MK Pritzker, and a pack of Burning Bush Breweries’ “Da Pope” American mild ale.
The Vatican itself did not release any details about what was discussed during the visit. The Democratic governor currently has before his desk the decision on whether to either sign into law or veto assisted suicide legislation that was recently approved the Illinois Legislature.
The Illinois Catholic Conference is urging Gov. Pritzker to veto the bill. In an Oct. 31 statement, the conference said that “rather than signing this bill, we ask the governor to expand and improve on palliative care programs.” Such programs, the conference maintains, “represent a compassionate and morally acceptable alternative to assisted suicide.”
This story was updated on Nov. 19, 2025, at 4:30 p.m. ET with additional details of the conversation provided by Gov. Pritzker.
Francesca is a staff reporter for Catholic News Agency. She received her degree in Communications with an emphasis in Digital Media from the University of Colorado – Denver. She is also in charge of the social media for Catholic News Agency.
Ken Oliver-Méndez is editor-in-chief of the Catholic News Agency, which provides news of general interest to Catholics worldwide through its network of regional correspondents, bureaus, and sister services, including ACI Prensa, ACI Stampa, CNA Deutsch, ACI Africa, ACI Afrique, ACI Mena, and ACI Digital. A native Washingtonian and journalist by profession, Ken is a former White House director of specialty media, news editor at NBC Radio, and evening news producer at Radio Martí, among other positions in journalism and public policy.
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