CHICAGO () — Pope Leo XIV marked his 71st birthday on Monday.
The pontiff was born in Chicago on September 14, 1955. The Vatican says he intends to lead the Church’s next chapter with a focus on “peace, unity, and the defence of human dignity.”
Known as “Chicago’s pope,” Leo was raised in the south suburb of Dolton and remains a noted White Sox fan.
The childhood home where the Prevost family lived, at 212 E. 141st Place in Dolton, is now an official historical landmark. The family remained there until 1969.
On Monday, the pope visited the Vatican Library to open an exhibition about water titled “AQVA, Catastrophe and Wonder.”
“Many of you may not know that my mother was a librarian, and today I’m here on my birthday specifically to say hello to all of you,” Leo told library staff.
Photographs showed the pope viewing “Diluvium,” an installation by French artist Jean René, known as JR.
The exhibition will be open to the public from September 25 through May 14, 2027.
For his 70th birthday, Leo received a chocolate cake from Portillo’s.
AP News contributed to this report.
