A Chicago family on vacation in Italy is winning hearts worldwide after a surprise encounter with Pope Leo XIV—and a perfectly timed gift.
On July 20, Marcel and Ann Muñoz and their three kids attended Mass in Albano, just outside Rome. Dressed in matching “Da Pope” Chicago Bears shirts (a playful spin on the classic “Da Bears” chant), they caught the eye of Pope Leo XIV—himself a Chicago native.
The pontiff stopped, smiled, and accepted their gift: a custom Bears shirt bearing his new nickname. The moment, captured on video and shared by Vatican and Chicago outlets, quickly went viral.
It’s just the latest in a string of Chicago-themed moments since Pope Leo XIV’s election—and proof that no matter how far you travel, Chicago pride runs deep.
