ArcaMax

ROME — Before Brandon Johnson was mayor of Chicago, he was a pastor’s kid.

That was a label he once again applied following his much-hyped meeting with Pope Leo XIV last week, one that he has played up to fortify how constituents connect his spiritual roots with his progressive politics.

“Who would have thought that a middle school ...Read more

From the writings of the Rev. Billy Graham

Q: Does God overlook our bad language? People say that there’s bad language in the Bible because the Prophet Jeremiah cursed the day he was born. I’m not sure that’s the same thing or not, but our society is out of control when it comes to using curse words like commas. – B.L.

A: One of the ...Read more

ROME — Fresh off the glow of his summit with Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican, Mayor Brandon Johnson signaled Friday that Chicago could be due for another street or landmark christened after a pontiff.

In a sit-down interview with the Tribune, Johnson said the first American pope deserves to be formally recognized in his hometown, though he said ...Read more

From the writings of the Rev. Billy Graham

Q: The letters to the churches found in Revelation 2 and 3 are hard to understand – and I am a pastor! The seminary I attended did not teach this book in light of how it impacts society today. But I hear people say that the book of Revelation is a great blessing to those who read it. How so? – L.C....Read more

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson called his meeting with Pope Leo XIV “a tremendous honor,” referring to himself as “someone who has relied upon my faith to guide me in decisions that I make, and even when those decisions are not always as well received.”

In May 2025, Robert Francis Prevost — born in Bronzeville and raised in south ...Read more

ROME — Mayor Brandon Johnson invited Pope Leo XIV to celebrate Mass in Grant Park next year during a much-awaited meeting Thursday afternoon in Vatican City, where the son of a pastor and chief executive of the pope’s hometown said the two bonded over their advocacy for migrants, descendants of slavery and the city of Chicago — intracity ...Read more

ROME — Mayor Brandon Johnson invited Pope Leo XIV to Grant Park next year and delivered him a key to the city during their much-awaited meeting Thursday afternoon in Vatican City, where the son of a pastor and chief executive of the pope’s hometown was surely eager to play up their shared roots.

After emerging from the historic Vatican ...Read more

Q: Dear Rabbi Gellman, I follow your column, so I know you have eclectic interests. Do you have favorite films about spiritual issues? Odd question, but here is why I am asking: I work at PlazaMac, a nonprofit art house cinema in Patchogue, New York. I am working with St. Joseph's College and ...Read more

From the writings of the Rev. Billy Graham

Q: Why is Israel so dominant in the Old Testament? Much of it is hard to understand, but in light of what is going on in that part of the world, it has piqued my interest in reading some of this history and some of the prophecies, many that have already come to pass concerning Israel, but is there a ...Read more

From the writings of the Rev. Billy Graham

Q: The Bible says that those who follow Jesus are to walk in His steps. I know people who claim they do, but they encounter some terrible problems along the way. One would think that if we walk with God, His presence would protect us from all harm. How are we to know exactly how to understand this ...Read more