U.S. Ambassador Hosted Pope Leo XIV for July 4 Dinner

U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See Brian Burch has described an informal Independence Day dinner he hosted for Pope Leo XIV at his residence in Rome.
Speaking with Italian media, Burch said the pope arrived at 7:30 p.m. on July 4, prayed with the ambassador's family, and shared a meal featuring American charcuterie, watermelon salad, Chicago-style hot dogs, apple pie, and gelato. Burch said Leo XIV approved of the menu.
The pope arrived without aides or secretaries, accompanied only by two Vatican gendarmes.
Burch said he invited Leo XIV to mark the 250th anniversary of the United States by hosting the first U.S.-born pope. The invitation was sent about two months before the dinner, and confirmation came about a month later.
The ambassador also said Leo XIV still carries a Peruvian credit card, uses a cellphone, follows the Chicago White Sox, and sometimes wakes during the night to check soccer scores.
The dinner took place the same day Leo XIV visited Lampedusa. Burch said the pope rejected …More