White smoke at the Vatican can only signal one thing: A new pope has been elected. But online? A flurry of memes are roasting the traditions of the Pope’s midwestern roots.
Just hours after the conclave concluded, electing Chicago-born Cardinal Robert Provost as pontiff (who will now go by the name Leo XIV), users all over social media are taking part in stereotype-laden antic, associating the Pope with deep pizza, sports, and, of course, Malört.
New Chicago Pope byu/mikraas inchicago
New Chicago Pope byu/mikraas inchicago
The r/Chicago Reddit thread is flooding with papacy-related memes. In one post, an image of a Catholic priest holding the sacramental bread has been edited to turn the wafer into a Chicago-style deep dish pizza. The post’s caption reads, “Coming this Sunday to a Vatican near you.” (Never mind that most Chicagoans prefer thin crust.)
the communion wafers are deep dish now— Armand Domalewski (@ArmandDoma) May 8, 2025
the communion wafers are deep dish now
Another user made a similar joke on X, saying “the communion wafers are deep dish now.”
Da Pope byu/StinkStar inchicago
Da Pope byu/StinkStar inchicago
Another X post poked fun at Malört, a self-punishing spirit popular among Chicago bars, saying “Cannot wait for holy water & wine to be replaced by Malort & Old Style.”
AI images that feature the pontiff sporting Chicago Bears merchandise are widely circulating social media. In one image posted on Reddit, a user commented, “Chicago produced a pope before a 4000 yd passer.”
On TikTok, one user posted a skit pretending to be the new Pope. “I just got a call from God, saying that deep dish pizza is real pizza,” he said. A user commented on the video saying, “Blessed be the children of god across the entire world, except those who live in Green Bay.”
An American Pope from Chicago. God help us all.pic.twitter.com/b8VmtR7O9R— chefkids (@girlflopping) May 8, 2025
An American Pope from Chicago. God help us all.pic.twitter.com/b8VmtR7O9R
Many users on X also likened the Pope to the fictional Chicago-native protagonist of The Bear, featuring clips from the TV show. A post featuring Chef Carmy screaming is captioned, “An American Pope from Chicago. God help us all.”
the pope from chicago receiving a message from god pic.twitter.com/leYJd6liu9— patrick. (@imPatrickT) May 8, 2025
the pope from chicago receiving a message from god pic.twitter.com/leYJd6liu9
Another post, referencing stills from the show’s season 1 finale, was captioned “the pope from Chicago receiving a message from god.” The message in question? “I love you dude. Let it rip.”
As memes continue to flood social media, the internet’s reaction might best be described by one user on X: “Announced to my office (we live in chicago) about the new pope and the immediate millennial reaction was “oh the memes are gonna be amazing.”
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