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1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsWhen Chicago-born Robert Prevost was elected Pope Leo XIV on May 8, 2025, the news quickly sparked a wave of jokes about the city’s food, sports, and unmistakable local identity. Here are some of the reactions reported at the time—not a definitive ranking, but a snapshot of how Chicago-flavored humor met a historic announcement.
Why Chicago turned the election into a meme moment
Prevost’s election was notable in Chicago because he was born in the city, giving residents a hometown connection to the new pope. Within hours, social posts and images drew on familiar local references. The Associated Press described the burst of doctored images and jokes as a “spate of holy humor”; The Onion editor-in-chief Chad Nackers summed up the pace with the hyperbole, “You just saw a billion jokes.” That was a colorful observation, not a measured count of posts or their reach. Associated Press coverage, May 9, 2025
Food and drink: deep dish, hot dogs, and Malört
Deep-dish devotion
Deep-dish pizza was an easy shorthand for Chicago pride. Axios Chicago reported deep-dish jokes among the local reactions, while ABC News described viral images placing Leo XIV alongside Chicago foods, including Italian beef and a hot dog. These were playful internet creations, not claims about the pope’s tastes or habits. Axios Chicago, May 8, 2025 · ABC News, May 9, 2025
Malört and Old Style
Chicago’s famously bracing Malört and local beer Old Style also showed up in the joke mix. Axios Chicago reported both as touchstones in posts reacting to the election. Their role was local-color shorthand: the humor depended on recognizing the references, rather than on any formal connection to the Vatican.
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“Deep dish eucharist”
One especially compact bit of religious-food wordplay was “deep dish eucharist,” combining a familiar Catholic term with Chicago’s signature pizza style. It belongs to the same playful category as the food mashups and shouldn’t be mistaken for a statement about Catholic practice.
Sports jokes: the White Sox “White Smoke Shake”
The White Sox supplied a more specific sports reference. ABC News reported a gag imagining a Sox promotion called the “White Smoke Shake,” riffing on the white smoke used to announce the election of a pope. Axios also reported that Leo XIV is a White Sox fan, which helps explain why Sox references fit the hometown framing. The joke was a reported gag, not evidence that the team actually offered such a shake. ABC News, May 9, 2025 · Axios Chicago, May 9, 2025
“Da Pope” and Chicago civic pride
Some reactions made the city’s voice the punchline and the point. “Da Pope” turned a familiar Chicago-flavored pronunciation into a nickname, while Mayor Brandon Johnson posted, “Everything dope, including the Pope, comes from Chicago.” Axios reported both examples. Johnson’s line was a public figure’s celebratory post, not a claim that every Chicagoan shared the same view. Axios, May 9, 2025
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What these memes capture—and what they don’t
Together, the reported examples show how a major religious news story became a distinctly local online moment: food jokes, a Sox riff, playful Catholic wordplay, and a burst of hometown pride. They are selected reactions described by contemporaneous coverage, not an exhaustive archive or a measured list of the most-shared memes. The election took place on May 8, 2025; social posts and account availability can change over time.
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