‘Thanked him for his courage’: Chicago mayor hails Pope Leo as powerful ally

Brandon Johnson, a progressive Democrat, applauded the pope for pushing back against Trump’s policies in meeting

Brandon Johnson, the Chicago mayor, cast Pope Leo XIV as a powerful global ally on social justice, migration and reparations after meeting the Chicago-born pontiff at the Vatican, saying their shared roots and priorities could help amplify efforts to protect vulnerable communities.

“We are incredibly elated and proud of him,” Johnson told the Associated Press in an interview on Friday, a day after the meeting with the American pope in a private audience.