The Vatican was already crowded with tourists and pilgrims on Saturday, but tens of thousands are expected on Sunday, and perhaps as many as 100,000 for Pope Leo's inaugural Mass, and Chicagoans have made the journey to Rome to represent their hometown pope.

An American rabbi has voiced optimism for Catholic-Jewish relations after the election of Pope Leo XIV, saying his pontificate marks an opportunity for renewal given a spike in tensions during the last months of Francis’s papacy.