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The Wiener's Circle, an iconic blistery canine basal known for posting quirky phrases connected its sign, posted connected Instagram that its existent motion translates to "He has eaten our dogs," Friday, May 9, 2025, successful Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)
A Chicago-born cardinal walks into a conclave. The remainder of the gag tells itself.
In the breathless time since Pope Leo XIV’s election arsenic the archetypal American pontiff, the memes, doctored images and tongue-in-cheek references person piled up deeper than Chicago's pizza and much loaded than its blistery dog, seemingly irresistible to comics and commoners alike.
Stained-glass windows depicting a dunking Michael Jordan? A alteration successful canon instrumentality to marque ketchup-topped frankfurters a sin? Cameos successful “The Bear”? All of it seemingly arsenic tempting arsenic the forbidden fruit.
“You conscionable saw a cardinal jokes,” says Chad Nackers, who was raised Catholic and present presides arsenic editor-in-chief of The Onion, the satirical tract that heralded Robert Prevost's elevation with an representation of the smiling pontiff encased successful a poppyseed-dotted bun.
“Conclave Selects First Chicago-Style Pope,” work the headline.
The pageantry of the religion and the thought of a antheral who acts arsenic a dependable for God, Nackers says, harvester for fertile humorous crushed nary substance the pontiff. Having him hail from the U.S., though, and a metropolis arsenic chiseled arsenic Chicago, opens up a full caller satellite of funny.
“It's conscionable benignant of close for humor,” Nackers says.
“DA POPE!” blared the beforehand of the Chicago Sun-Times connected Friday, 1 of countless spins connected the city’s unsocial accent, immortalized in “Saturday Night Live” sketches. No substance however Pope Leo XIV really appears, successful this realm of humor, he's a mustachioed everyman who swaps his Ts for Ds and his zucchetto for a Bears cap.
With the Second City successful the spotlight, much Chicago tropes were trotted retired than adjacent the famed namesake improv troupe could imagination up. The popemobile traded for the Dodge Monaco made celebrated successful “The Blues Brothers”? Check. Twists connected city-set shows and movies similar “Chicago Hope,” er, “Chicago Pope”? Yup. Dreams of Portillo’s Italian beef sandwiches and the Chicago liqueur Malört taking the spot of the breadstuff and vino of communion? Yes, chef. Over and implicit again.
In sports-loving Chicago, metropolis teams were spun successful a swell of papal humor. Initial content that the pope’s shot loyalties were with the Cubs led contented creator Caitlin Hendricks to muse that Leo ironically hates the Cardinals. As it turns out, though, it appears the antheral successful achromatic roots for the White Sox.
It didn’t halt those successful Wrigleyville from eating up pope memes and feeling hometown pride. At the Sports World shop, 1 pistillate came successful asking for a Cubs jersey with Pope Leo XIV’s sanction splayed crossed the back. Down the thoroughfare astatine Wrigleyville Sports, Chad Grant said helium wouldn’t hatred Leo for rooting for the Sox, but that “I conscionable consciousness bad, due to the fact that he’s been utilized to losing for a small while.”
Late-night hosts, too, had a shot with an American’s ascension.
Jimmy Fallon mused of “deep-dish communion wafers” from a pope known arsenic “Bobby Bratwurst.” Stephen Colbert, a devout Catholic who performs successful a workplace with astir arsenic overmuch stained solid to rival St. Patrick’s Cathedral, offered patriotic “Pope-S-A” chants and mentions of “da prayers” successful heavy Chicago tongue.
“I’m really amazed by however excited I am,” Jimmy Kimmel said successful his archetypal monologue aft the news. “An American who grew up here, watched each the shows we watched, rooted for teams, is present successful Rome astatine the caput of the religion … this indispensable person been what it felt similar erstwhile they opened the archetypal Olive Garden.”
More volition come, a cascade of Ferris Bueller jokes and asides connected canonizing Mike Ditka. There volition beryllium Oprah exuberantly shouting “You get a caller pope! And you get a caller pope!” And much memes of the pope successful a dyed-green Chicago River oregon atop its shiny “Cloud Gate” bean than anyone tin count.
“There's conscionable a batch of joyousness successful the metropolis close now,” says Ashley Lenz, a theologian successful Chicago who works for the Catholic supplication app Hallow. “There’s a definite delight of seeing thing ineffable interruption into the ordinary. The thought of a pope who’s stood successful enactment astatine Portillo’s oregon cheered connected the Sox makes it each consciousness person to home. It makes the papacy consciousness quality again.”
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Associated Press writer Melina Walling contributed to this study from Chicago.
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Matt Sedensky tin beryllium reached astatine msedensky@ap.org and https://x.com/sedensky.
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This worldly whitethorn not beryllium published, broadcast, rewritten oregon redistributed without permission.
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