The Vatican has become a popular destination for officials from the US state of Illinois since Robert Prevost ascended to the papal throne last year, becoming known as Pope Leo XIV.
Numerous visits by American officials have brought symbolic gifts, and this time Illinois State Treasurer Mike Frerichs presented the Pope with an unusual offering: a certificate for the return of his personal $8.65.
Various officials, including Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Governor JB Pritzker, have brought symbolic gifts from the city and state, such as "Da Pope" beer, local foods and sports equipment from Chicago teams, writes CNN .
Frerichs explained that the money was in the Illinois state unclaimed property fund, having remained in a closed PayPal account and not been withdrawn by the owner.
He said that initially an attempt was made to return the money through official church channels, but without success, so it was decided to deliver it to him personally during a visit to the Vatican.
Frerichs also presented the pope with an Abraham Lincoln commemorative coin and a book on the history of Chicago, while his wife brought prayer beads for a blessing.
This case became symbolic and was also used to raise awareness for Illinois' "Unclaimed Property" program, which has returned billions of dollars to citizens since 2015. /Telegraph/