Creative present ideas, with a papal twist!
The likes of our first U.S.-born Pope — a Chicago native — have been well reported in the Register’s pages since his May election. This Christmas, consider some gifts based on his favorite pastimes and food.
Sports + Food
Pope Leo loves baseball (his favorite team is his hometown White Sox). Buy tickets to a game, or a new baseball glove — or even a papal jersey; GrandStandSox.com.
The Pope loves Aurelio’s pizza and Portillo’s chocolate cake from restaurants in the Windy City. Order a pepperoni pie (the Pope’s fav, which was hand-delivered recently to him in St. Peter’s Square) or your own cake — topped with signature ganache! AureliosPizza.com; Portillos.com. Both selections are Register staff approved. Enjoy!
Pope Leo Wine
Trinitas Cellars, Catholic-owned winery, offers wines named for saints and Our Lady. Now, they offer a wine named for Pope Leo XIV.
Pope-Inspired Reading
FROM EWTN PUBLISHING
Pope Leo XIV: The Election of a Pope in Pictures
In these unforgettable pages, the drama and poignancy of the Church’s greatest transition — the papal interregnum — comes alive: the death of Pope Francis, the mourning of a people, the conclave in solemn secrecy, and the stunning election of a new successor of Peter, Pope Leo XIV.
This extraordinary commemorative volume is rich with powerful photographs and profound reflections.
Readers will witness:
the reverence of the Church during a sede vacante, when the See of Peter remains empty; the drama and dignity of the conclave, in which cardinals discern beneath the gaze of The Last Judgment by Michelangelo; the joy of the faithful at the installation of Pope Leo XIV; and the first words, blessings, and symbols of a shepherd taking up the keys of Peter with courage and humility.
This is more than a book of images. It is a pilgrimage of faith — showing how sorrow is pierced with Easter hope, how a human election is suffused with divine Providence, and how the Church moves forward and always onward, with a renewed love for the beauty of Catholic tradition, a deeper faith in Christ’s promise, and a hopeful prayer for Pope Leo XIV and the future of the Church he now leads. — EWTN Religious Catalogue
‘Pope Leo XIV: The Election of a Pope in Pictures’: Relive the first moments of the Leone papacy.(Photo: Daniel Ibáñez/EWTN News)
Papal Blessing
Give gifts and medals blessed by the Pope. You can request to have religious items blessed by the Holy Father after purchase at the “Vatican Gift” shop; VaticanGift.com. Also purchase papal blessing parchments for sacramental anniversaries and other occasions; Elemosineria.va/papal-blessing-parchments/.