Young Catholics deliver Pope Leo XIV’s favorite Chicago pizza to Vatican

CHICAGO (WGN) – Pope Leo XIV’s love for the Chicago White Sox and Chicago pizza is well documented, so much so that a group of young Catholic influencers hatched a plan to deliver the pope’s favorite pizza from Chicago to Rome.

For a group of young Catholics in Ohio, it was an act of faith.

With very little money and inside connections to the pope or the Vatican, Jayden Remias and others were able to pull off the pizza delivery with the help of some diving intervention.

“It started 30 days ago when I started a challenge to deliver a pizza to the pope,” Remias said.

Remias and his wife Lexi are both Ohioans and connected online with 22-year-old Madeline Daley of Cincinnati before her departure to Rome to see Pope Leo XIV.

But first, Remias had to pick up a frozen Aurelio’s pizza.

Jake Ochave of Virginia went with Remias to Chicago, sleeping on a friend’s couch before delivering the pizza to Daley.

“We went to Chicago. It was about a six-to-seven hour drive,” Ochave said.

Packed with dry ice, Daley made her way to Saint Peter’s Square and held up a sign they knew the pontiff couldn’t resist.

Later, Daley heard the pope’s voice exclaim to his security guards, “I want the pizza! Please give me the pizza!”

WGN-TV’s medical unit confirmed with the pope’s brother John Prevost that the pontiff ate his six-inch Aurelio’s pepperoni pizza, every last bite of it.

If you want to see a recap video, click here, while Remias’ YouTube channel can be found here.