Pope Leo XIV lit up after receiving his favorite pizza. (AI-Generated Image)
Pope Leo XIV was in for a pleasant surprise as he met people in St. Peter's Square in Rome on the 30th of July. He was passing through the crowd in a car when he halted in his tracks upon seeing a road sign for Aurelio's Pizza, which was his favorite when he was young in Illinois.
The 69-year-old Pope, previously Cardinal Robert Prevost, made history last April as the first American to lead the Catholic Church. In spite of his prestigious position, his affection for a certain pizza chain is still the same.
Madeline Daley, who is 22 years old and from Cincinnati, was the one who stood near the sign and the pizza box. She related her experience to NBC News: "Then Pope Leo came by and just kept taking babies to bless them, but as soon as they spotted the pizza, he had babies in his hand, but he's still telling me, like, 'Get me that pizza, I want that pizza,'" she told a video interview.
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Seeing the familiar logo of Aurelio's right away immediately drew the attention of the Pope. "And upon seeing the logo, he lit up, and the smile was from ear to ear and he was just so excited about it," she further added.
The six-inch pepperoni pizza was sent via dry ice from Chicago to Rome and did not remain unused. As reported by WGN-TV, the Pope's brother, John Prevost, confirmed that the Pope actually enjoyed the special package.
Joe Aurelio, Aurelio's Pizza President and CEO, was overjoyed about the moment. "Pope Leo has been a lifetime Aurelio's fan and going to Aurelio's Pizza in Homewood, Ill., since the 1960s. So it's been part of his life and for him to see [the pizza] and actually stop there in the audience was amazing," he told NBC News.
Daley wasn't the only one to make this a reality. A team of young Catholic leaders collaborated in order to bring the Pope's pizza moment to fruition. Jake Ochave of Virginia and Jayden Remias of Ohio flew out to Chicago to personally collect the pizza.
Their mission was a simple one: get the Pope's favorite pizza to him directly. And they did.
Aurelio's Pizza, which boasts thin crust Chicago-style pies, is a favorite Illinois-based eatery with a chain of restaurants. It now operates three company-owned units and 37 franchised stores in six states.
With this special delivery, Aurelio's didn't merely deliver pizza, it brought joy and nostalgia to the head of the Catholic Church, demonstrating how a piece of home can warm even the highest office in the Vatican.
