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CBS News
7 days ago
- General
- CBS News
Gifts left for Pope Leo XIV disappear from outside his childhood home in Dolton, Illinois
Sacred gifts, or public nuisance? Pope Leo XIV's childhood home in Dolton, Illinois, is attracting new attention, this time for the gifts and offerings left by visitors, but not everyone likes them. Since then-Cardinal Robert Prevost was elected pope last month, many people have visited his childhood home in Dolton, and left candles, rosaries, bible verses, crosses, and other offerings. But a neighbor said someone threw most of them out, and she's concerned it could happen again. As of Tuesday, all that was left outside the home were two candles and one small cross. Neighbor Donna Sagna Davis said the rest of the items that had been left outside the home were removed, and when she asked where they went, someone pointed her to the police department. A Dolton police commander acknowledged that she had thrown the items away. On a horseshoe-shaped block, the simple brick home where Pope Leo grew up stirs emotion and brings big crowds. Davis has been acting as a welcome wagon to many of the people who stop by, playing music from her window, and keeping watch over the property as visitors like Shirley Roberson stop by. "To me, it's nice. It's historic," she said. "And it's so close to me." Roberson took only photos and new memories when she visited, but other visitors have left offerings and gifts. A few weeks ago, a small display of candles, flowers, and a rosary with a crucifix had accumulated outside the home, at the same time officials with the Village of Dolton indicated their plan to acquire the property by sale or eminent domain powers – essentially acquiring the home in exchange for a fair market price. But those offerings are now gone. "Somebody that witnessed told me that one of the police officers had taken the stuff, and I was like, 'What?'" Davis said. "When I got to the police station, she told me that she threw it in the garbage." Davis said there is a lot of trash in Dolton that could be cleaned up, but she doesn't understand why they started on private property. "There's a lot of areas that has trash. I'm looking at trash right now on the ground, but I don't consider … an element of worship to be trash at all," she said. "I was trying to get the stuff back. I tried, but I wasn't able to get everything back." The seller's real estate agent confirmed they have not removed any offerings left at the home, adding that a potential sale to the village has stalled, stating, "I have called and left messages for village attorney who was handling this. There was a village meeting last night, this was not even mentioned." That agent said the village's letter announcing their plan to acquire the property "was a bold move... before even talking to the seller directly." The police commander involved confirmed she took the items left outside the home, acknowledging some were thrown away. She said it's a safety issue, and the items were cleared to discourage theft, adding there are no plans to remove any further items, so long as the display remains small and tidy. The house is still listed as for sale by auction, with final bids due in 15 days.
CBS News
21-05-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
Dolton's plan to acquire Pope Leo XIV's childhood home, possibly through eminent domain, raises legal questions
A fight for ownership of Pope Leo XIV's childhood home in Dolton, Illinois, raises questions about legality. The current owner of the home at 212 E. 141st Pl. has signaled that he plans to sell it at auction, and Dolton Mayor Jason House has said the village will seek to buy it, but if negotiations fail, could seek to acquire it through eminent domain. That's when a government body seizes private property for public use without the owner's consent, but pays the owner a fair amount for the value of the property. There is immense interest in what happens next to Pope Leo's childhood home in Dolton. "They're bringing rosaries, flowers. We light candles," said Donna Sagna Davis, who lives next door. Davis has erected a cross outside her own home; Gregorian chants belting from a speaker in her window via a playlist she found on YouTube. "I've seen a lot of people; people from Greece, people from Italy, Germany," she said. "One woman came and she prayed, touched the door of the pope's house, and she said she wanted to be healed." On the day then-Cardinal Robert Prevost was elected pope, the owner of the pontiff's childhood home said he learned about Pope Leo's election through his real estate agent while at a doctor's appointment with his pregnant wife. Polish and Catholic, he sees it as a blessing for his growing family. CBS News Chicago was the first to go inside the newly renovated house on the day Pope Leo was elected. With the house now a piece of history, Dolton Mayor Jason House has said the cash-strapped village plans to acquire it, either through direct purchase or through eminent domain powers. "We consistently say we want to make sure that we're partnering with the archdiocese to honor it in the right way," he said. But that plan – intersecting the use taxpayer funds and a religious organization – has raised concerns, and not just limited to the First Amendment separation of Church and State. "We have statutory problems dealing with eminent domain, and it has to be used for a public purpose, not for a private or for religious reasons. There are a lot of obstacles in this, and I think down the road, there's going to be a lot of legal issues," CBS News Chicago legal analyst Irv Miller said. The Archdiocese of Chicago said it "appreciates the outreach from the Village of Dolton and our preliminary discussions regarding the former Prevost family home." "At this time, the archdiocese does not have a plan in place concerning the property," the archdiocese added. On Wednesday, a group of Polish priests working in Chicago came by the house, leading a prayer over the home and its community. "I feel like God has come to Dolton, so I'm excited," Davis said. House did not immediately respond to a request for clarification about his statement regarding a partnership with the Archdiocese regarding the pope's childhood home. The home is still listed for auction, with bids accepted until June 18.
