Sandwiches, trading cards, jerseys, and more: USA honors Leo XIV

The world rejoiced on Thursday at the news of the election of Pope Leo XIV. A native of Chicago, Leo XIV is the first U.S.-born pope.

Here's some of the ways companies and organizations in the United States honored and celebrated the new pope:

The Empire State Building, which is frequently lit up in differing colors to honor certain causes or sports victories, was "shining gold and white (Thursday) in honor of Pope Leo XIV, the first American Pope."

The Empire State Building's account on X also made a joke that the city of Chicago should not move their "Cloud Gate" landmark sculpture to the Vatican.

The trading card company Topps debuted a Pope Leo XIV card less than three hours after he was introduced on the balcony at St. Peter's.

In lieu of stats, like a baseball card, Pope Leo XIV's trading card states "'Habemus Papam!' Leo XIV named 1st American pope" and is dated May 8, the day of his election.

The card also comes in differing variants, said the Topps website. One, which is a foiled version of the card, is limited to 50 prints. Another, dubbed the "White smoke image variation" is limited to 267. Pope Leo XIV is the 267th pope.

As a native of Chicago, many people wondered where Leo XIV's baseball alliances lay.

Initially, he was reported as a fan of the Chicago Cubs — something that would have been unusual given his southside upbringing.

The Cubs posted an image on X, boasting about the pope's alleged fandom.

This, however, was disputed by Leo XIV's older brother, John Prevost.

Cardinal Timothy Dolan, archbishop of New York, a native of St. Louis, and devoted fan of the St. Louis Cardinals, said Friday on The Catholic Channel that he had asked Pope Leo XIV about his baseball allegiances during the voting in conclave.

Leo XIV was seated "right in front of me," said Dolan.

"That row got up to vote first. And then when he was coming back, and this was at the time when it was about ready to be settled, and I'm getting ready to walk up and put my ballot in, and I said, 'Robert: Cubs or White Sox?'"

The future pope confirmed to Dolan that he was a White Sox fan — a relief for Dolan.

"I said, 'thank God,'" said Dolan. "Because coming from St. Louis, we don't cotton to the Cubs," he said, laughing.

The White Sox posted their own reply on X.

"Well, would you look at that ... Congratulations to Chicago's own Pope Leo XIV," said the White Sox.

The team later put out a statement.

"Family always knows best, and it sounds like Pope Leo XIV's lifelong fandom falls a little closer to 35th and Shields," said the White Sox.

"Some things are bigger than baseball, and in this case, we're glad to have a White Sox fan represented at the Vatican. A pinstripes White Sox jersey with his name on it and a hat already are on the way to Rome, and of course, the Pontiff always is welcome at his ballpark."

The Chicago Bulls, Bears, and Blackhawks have not yet made a statement on Pope Leo XIV.

Understandably, Villanova University was thrilled that one of their alumni was elected as the head of the Catholic Church.

"As an Augustinian Catholic institution, we celebrate this significant day for our University community and the global Church. Villanova, built on the teachings of St. Augustine, has always been grounded in advancing a deeper understanding of the fundamental relationship between faith and reason—between spirituality and wisdom,” said University President the Rev. Peter M. Donohue, OSA, PhD, ‘75 CLAS.

“With today’s election of His Holiness, Pope Leo XIV, I cannot help but reflect on what his Augustinian papacy will mean to our University community and our world. Known for his humility, gentle spirit, prudence and warmth, Pope Leo XIV’s leadership offers an opportunity to reaffirm our commitment to our educational mission.”

At Portillo's, diners can now buy "The Leo," a new, limited-time sandwich offering named after the pope.

"As a proud Chicago-born brand, Portillo's wanted to mark the moment with something only we could do: a bold, flavorful tribute that celebrates both our city's heritage and Italian Beef Month," Portillo's told Aleteia in a statement.

"The Leo" consists of "our signature slow-roasted, thin-sliced Italian beef, our famous gravy, and topped with your choice of sweet peppers, hot giardiniera, or both," said Portillo's.