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Pope Leo rejected the Catholic Church's centuries-old just-war doctrine in his first major papal document, a move experts say could reshape how major powers justify military interventions. The statement also included the Church's strongest apology for its historical role in supporting transatlantic slavery and called for global AI regulation.

<p></p><h3>Good morning, Chicago. ✶</h3><p>🔎 <b>Below</b>: Our journalists are at the Vatican to cover Mayor Brandon Johnson's upcoming meeting with the world's most famous Chicagoan, Pope Leo XIV. We'll give you the itinerary — and want you to give us your Rome recommendations.</p><p>🗞️ <b>Plus</b>: A local teen is home after immigration detention, fallout from the tainted "Broadview Six" case, a look behind the scenes of the new Second City show and more.</p><p>📝 <b>Keeping score</b>: <a class="Link" href="https://newsletters.suntimes.com/t/t-l-whjlytk-l-y/" target="_blank" >The Cubs lost to the Pirates</a>, 12-1; <a class="Link" href="https://newsletters.suntimes.com/t/t-l-whjlytk-l-j/" target="_blank" >the White Sox fell to the Twins</a>, 5-3.</p><p>📧 <b>Subscribe</b>: <a class="Link" href="https://newsletter-hub.suntimes.com/" target="_blank" ><i>Get this newsletter delivered to your inbox weekday mornings.</i></a></p><p>⏱️: <i>An 8-minute read</i></p><hr><p></p><h4>TODAY’S WEATHER 🔆</h4><p>Sunny with a high near 83. The Chicago Metro area and Northwest Indiana are <a class="Link" href="https://newsletters.suntimes.com/t/t-l-whjlytk-l-i/" target="_blank" >under an air quality alert through Wednesday night</a>.</p><hr><p></p><h4>TODAY’S TOP STORY 🔎</h4><div class="Enhancement" data-align-center> <div class="Enhancement-item" data-crop=""> <figure class="Figure"><a class="AnchorLink" id="image-870000" name="image-870000"></a> <picture data-crop="medium"> <source type="image/webp" width="490" height="275" data-srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/5ad3550/2147483647/strip/true/crop/8192x4598+0+433/resize/490x275!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Fde%2F75%2F3d12afb44de591dcaadec302e5a4%2Fmayorpope-260525-006.jpg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/13839c9/2147483647/strip/true/crop/8192x4598+0+433/resize/980x550!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Fde%2F75%2F3d12afb44de591dcaadec302e5a4%2Fmayorpope-260525-006.jpg 2x" data-lazy-load="true" srcset="data:image/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciIHZlcnNpb249IjEuMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIyNzVweCIgd2lkdGg9IjQ5MHB4Ij48L3N2Zz4=" /> <source width="490" height="275" data-srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/d8926a0/2147483647/strip/true/crop/8192x4598+0+433/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Fde%2F75%2F3d12afb44de591dcaadec302e5a4%2Fmayorpope-260525-006.jpg" data-lazy-load="true" srcset="data:image/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciIHZlcnNpb249IjEuMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIyNzVweCIgd2lkdGg9IjQ5MHB4Ij48L3N2Zz4=" /> <img class="Image" alt="Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson speaks briefly in Peach's restaurant on the South Side of Chicago on May 24, 2026." srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/d8926a0/2147483647/strip/true/crop/8192x4598+0+433/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Fde%2F75%2F3d12afb44de591dcaadec302e5a4%2Fmayorpope-260525-006.jpg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/18667c4/2147483647/strip/true/crop/8192x4598+0+433/resize/980x550!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Fde%2F75%2F3d12afb44de591dcaadec302e5a4%2Fmayorpope-260525-006.jpg 2x" width="490" height="275" data-src="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/d8926a0/2147483647/strip/true/crop/8192x4598+0+433/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Fde%2F75%2F3d12afb44de591dcaadec302e5a4%2Fmayorpope-260525-006.jpg" data-lazy-load="true" src="data:image/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciIHZlcnNpb249IjEuMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIyNzVweCIgd2lkdGg9IjQ5MHB4Ij48L3N2Zz4=" > </picture> <div class="Figure-content"><figcaption class="Figure-caption"><p>Mayor Brandon Johnson, seen Sunday at Peach’s restaurant in Bronzeville, will travel to the Vatican this week to meet Pope Leo XIV.</p></figcaption><span class="line"></span><div class="Figure-credit"><p>Arthur Maiorella/For the Sun-Times</p></div></div> </figure> </div> </div><p></p><h3><a class="Link" href="https://newsletters.suntimes.com/t/t-l-whjlytk-l-d/" target="_blank" >On Vatican trip, Mayor Johnson will laud Pope Leo for pushback against Trump</a></h3><p></p><h5>By <a class="Link" href="https://newsletters.suntimes.com/t/t-l-whjlytk-l-h/" target="_blank" >Mariah Woelfel</a></h5><p><b>Mayor in Rome</b>: Mayor Brandon Johnson has a meeting Thursday with the world's most famous Chicagoan: Pope Leo XIV. He will be the latest Illinoisan to meet the pope, who has given locals from his hometown, including Gov.

Hope of finding more survivors faded on Wednesday as Venezuela marked a week since twin earthquakes killed almost 2,300 people, while many who lived through the disaster were running desperately short on food. As the death toll mounted, Venezuela’s interim president Delcy Rodriguez declared seven days of mourning, saying the country’s “soul is torn apart by the human losses.” Tens of thousands of people remain unaccounted for. This aerial view shows people holding lit candles and a Venezuelan flag during a vigil paying tribute to victims of earthquakes in Venezuela, with the word “VENEZUELA” formed with candles on the ground at Plaza Estado del Vaticano in Buenos Aires on July 1, 2026.

<p>Nearly universal social etiquette dictates that a guest should never arrive at a person’s home empty-handed.</p><p>But what do you bring when the “home” is the Vatican and the host is Pope Leo XIV?</p><p>“What to get someone who has everything?” U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said he asked himself before choosing (perhaps unadvisedly, <a class="Link" href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DYDuk2UJrU9/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ%3D%3D" target="_blank" ><u>given the reaction</u></a>) the crystal football he presented to the first U.S.-born pope earlier this month.</p><p>Since his inauguration as pontiff one year ago, Leo has hosted audiences with many world leaders, celebrities and other notables. They’ve all brought gifts, some of them lavish and laden with poignant symbolic and personal meaning, while others were cheekier and had sporty vibes.</p><p>On Thursday, <a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/pope-leo-xiv/2026/05/28/mayor-brandon-johnson-pope-leo-vatican-visit-meeting" >during his meeting</a> with the pope, Mayor Brandon Johnson and the Chicago delegation brought a veritable treasure chest <a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/pope-leo-xiv/2026/05/28/pope-leo-chicago-gifts-list-vatican-cubs-hat-giardinara" >full of hometown goodies</a> that included an official key to the city, White Sox and Cubs apparel and <a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/small-business/2026/05/26/chicago-giardiniera-jp-graziano-pope-leo-mayor-johnson" target="_blank" ><u>a jar of J.P.