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Yahoo
21-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Pope Leo XIV Wins Hearts Worldwide With His Chicago Charm, Compassion and Global Outreach
For the first time in history, the leader of the world's 1.4 billion Catholics is an American! Robert Francis 'Bob' Prevost was born at Mercy Hospital on Chicago's South Side on Sept. 14, 1955, to Mildred Martinez and Louis Prevost. He has two brothers, Louis and John. He grew up in a devout Catholic family in suburban Dolton, Ill. Sundays meant church at St. Mary of the Assumption, but afternoons were for cheering on his beloved Chicago White Sox, the South Side's baseball heroes. The baseball organization, thrilled to claim the new pontiff as one of their own, announced they were sending a pinstriped Sox jersey and cap straight to the Vatican. 'Some things are bigger than baseball, but in this case we're glad to have a White Sox fan represented at the Vatican,' a team spokesperson quips. Prevost was educated in Hyde Park at the Catholic Theological Union in the 1970s, where he was simply known as 'Brother Bob' to friends. He graduated from Villanova University in Pennsylvania with a degree in mathematics in 1977. After being ordained a priest in 1982, he embarked on a bold mission abroad. In the mid-1980s, the young Chicago priest packed his bags and headed to Peru as a missionary, working in poor villages and even leading a seminary in the city of Trujillo. Fluent in Spanish and rich in compassion, he spent decades serving in Latin America, earning dual citizenship in the process. His worldly experience and humility made him a beloved figure: Parishioners in Peru were so fond of 'Padre Prevost' that they'd celebrate his birthday for an entire week and every group in the parish insisted on throwing a party for their favorite priest. By 1999, Prevost was back home leading Chicago's Augustinian order and he steadily climbed the ranks from bishop to archbishop. Pope Francis took notice of this quiet powerhouse and brought him to Rome in 2023, naming him the head of the Vatican's powerful Dicastery for Bishops, then promoting him to cardinal. Prevost helped choose new bishops around the globe, all while working closely with Pope Francis and sharing his vision for a more inclusive Church. Still, few pundits put him at the top of the papal contender list when Francis passed away in April. So when the College of Cardinals surprised the world by electing this 69-year-old Chicagoan as the first American pope ever, even Prevost's former classmates were shocked. 'We didn't think it was possible they'd pick an American,' admits one old friend. Yet there he stood on the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica as Pope Leo XIV — living proof that sometimes the long shot wins the race. Pope Leo XIV isn't just making history — he's making friends wherever he goes. Those who know Prevost describe him as an irresistibly charismatic figure with a down-to-earth style as hearty as a Chicago deep-dish pizza. 'He's an extraordinary person with a very keen intellect, a heart as big as the whole world, especially for people on the margins,' says Sister Barbara Reid, president of the Catholic Theological Union. Whether in the slums of Peru or the halls of the Vatican, Pope Leo XIV has always gravitated toward the poor and forgotten, mirroring the compassion of his mentor Pope Francis. Father John Lydon, who worked with Prevost for years, recalls a priest so outgoing and warm that everyone felt like his best friend — the kind of guy you'd feel comfortable grabbing a beer with after Mass. Yes, this pope enjoys the occasional brew — and he can even belt out a tune! He has a surprisingly strong singing voice and was often chosen to lead sung prayers, earning him quiet fame in Vatican circles as the 'karaoke cardinal.' He has chosen to live, like Pope Francis, in a modest Vatican guest house rather than the palatial papal apartments. For his first official portrait, he flashed a broad smile instead of a serious look. From dancing with children in Peruvian villages to enthusiastically high-fiving nuns on the streets of Rome, the new pope exudes joy. As one Vatican insider put it, 'He brings a bit of that Chicago friendliness into the papacy, and folks are loving it.' Leo XIV is passionate about global peace and unity. In his very first blessing as pope, he appealed for an end to conflicts tearing the world apart, calling for Catholics and all people of goodwill to be 'bridgemakers' across divides — a message that won praise far beyond the Church. This peacemaker instinct comes naturally. Back in Chicago, Prevost was known for uniting people of different faiths and backgrounds. And in Peru, he often mediated disputes in communities, preferring dialogue over discord. Now, as pope, he has pledged to continue his predecessor's work of outreach and reconciliation, vowing to be a 'bridge-builder' for a fractured world. This is a pontiff with an X (previously known as Twitter) account. As a cardinal, he didn't hesitate to share heartfelt posts calling for compassion toward migrants and even chimed in on national debates on social media. He has joked that St. Paul would have loved Twitter if it existed 2,000 years ago. Under Pope Leo XIV, the traditionally secretive Vatican is finding new openness: Press conferences with candid Q&As, live-streamed Masses, and a warm, plainspoken style of preaching that resonates with ordinary people. He's determined to meet the modern world on its own turf, all in service of spreading the timeless message of hope, peace and love.
Chicago Tribune
18-05-2025
- General
- Chicago Tribune
Edward Keegan: Pope Leo XIV's childhood home an example of the ordinary architecture Chicago does well
The elevation of Chicago-born Robert Francis Prevost to Pope Leo XIV earlier this month remains a shock. That's because the papacy is something so extraordinary that almost none of it fits neatly with who he seems to be. So many aspects of this Holy Father are just so ordinary. To listen to him talk is to hear the rhythms of any Sunday morning in a Chicago parish church. His wry smile seems full of love and patience, but he's obviously knowing and not necessarily approving of everything that happens on his watch. And that's OK, because we know he still loves us. Neither Leo's childhood home or church will be named landmarks on their architectural merits, but they both represent some dominant themes in Chicago's more acclaimed buildings — that is, a genuine sense of the ordinary. The pope's childhood home in Dolton is nothing if not modest. Built in 1949, the 1,050-square-foot home is tiny — especially when you imagine the Prevost family of five living within its simple brick walls. It's a variation on the Cape Cod, a classic American form that was replicated across America in the years following World War II. But the use of Chicago common brick on each facade clearly places the home here; many similar homes outside the Chicago area were clad in wood. The raised first floor suggests that the basement was likely used for significant living spaces, although it's my speculation that the Prevost family spent large amounts of time downstairs. If they did, I would expect plastic slipcovers on the furniture in the upstairs living room. While modest, the Prevost home sits amid a suburban tract development with similar small lots and houses. Even three-quarters of a century after their construction, not much has outwardly changed. Just a three-minute drive or a 15-minute walk away is Leo's childhood parish church, the former St. Mary of the Assumption in the Riverdale neighborhood. In a city with a wealth of spectacular churches, the pope did not attend one of them. There's no question that great art and architecture can enhance faith, but St. Mary of the Assumption is proof that it's hardly necessary. The church's expression is quite ordinary. The parish dates to 1886 with early structures built in 1917, but the existing church structure on South Leyden Avenue and East 137th Street was constructed in 1957, when Prevost would have turned 2. The most noteworthy aspect of the building is its two-story arched stone entrance with a deeply recessed rose window above that frames a statue of Mary. The church does not represent the high modernism that many parishes in the Chicago Archdiocese embraced during this period. Might being raised amid this architectural austerity have inspired the young Rev. Robert Prevost to seek out missionary locales such as Peru for his ministry? In architecture, like religion, it seems we're always looking for the extraordinary. But it's hard to recognize the extraordinary until we clearly see the ordinary. Any city or community contains many buildings — and most of them are absolutely ordinary. One essential factor in Chicago's architecture has been its unapologetic embrace of the ordinary. That's one important reason why the city's designs have been so influential and why our architecture is considered quintessentially American. It's meant to impress, but only so much. And I think it's one reason we immediately recognized the new pope as our own. For almost two centuries, much of Chicago's architecture has focused on pragmatic and functional concerns, creating forms in the 19th and 20th century that are readily replicable. My favorite Chicago building has always been H.H. Richardson's Marshall Field Wholesale Store, which was demolished in 1930. Its rough-hewn stone walls and simply articulated windows and stringcourses were absolutely extraordinary in their ordinariness. Completed in 1887, it declared a straightforward approach to architecture whose progeny would include structures across the country. Dankmar Adler and Louis Sullivan's Auditorium Building owes a lot of its brain and brawn to the earlier example, one of the few times that Sullivan acknowledged the influence of another building and its architect. While seldom noted as such, much of Ludwig Mies van der Rohe's work was quite ordinary. In fact, the American phase of his career, which spans from his arrival at the Illinois Institute of Technology in 1938 through his death in 1969, was about creating the glass and steel aesthetic that defines architecture during that period. Whether we're talking about his campus at IIT, his apartments buildings at 860-880 N. Lake Shore Drive, or the Loop's Federal Center, each of these is quintessentially ordinary. And countless office and apartment buildings around the globe owe their aesthetic to these models created here. In Chicago, whether it's architecture or Catholicism, we do ordinary very well. And I think it's one reason we now call Pope Leo XIV our very own. Edward Keegan writes, broadcasts and teaches on architectural subjects. Keegan's biweekly architecture column is supported by a grant from former Tribune critic Blair Kamin, as administered by the not-for-profit Journalism Funding Partners. The Tribune maintains editorial control over assignments and content.
Chicago Tribune
18-05-2025
- Politics
- Chicago Tribune
Pope Leo XIV officially begins his papacy with an inaugural Mass in St. Peter's Square
VATICAN CITY — Chicago-born Pope Leo XIV will officially begin his papacy this morning as he presides over his inaugural Mass in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican. The liturgy is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. in Rome, 3 a.m. Central Time. The pontiff made history earlier this month when he was elected to be the first American pope in the church's 2,000-year history. Dignitaries and faith leaders from across the globe plan to attend, including Vice President JD Vance, who will lead the U.S. delegation. Vance, who converted to Catholicism in 2019, is expected to be joined by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who is also Catholic, and second lady Usha Vance. Other international leaders on the guest list include Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. Pope Leo XIV's friends, Catholic faithful from Chicago travel to the Vatican for his inaugural MassThe event typically starts with a new pontiff taking a ride through St. Peter's Square in the popemobile, a vehicle specially designed to transport the pope for public appearances and to allow him to be visible while still protected, according to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. The liturgy commences inside St. Peter's Basilica, where the new pope — joined by the patriarchs of the Eastern Catholic churches — will descend to the tomb of St. Peter and pause for prayer, according to the Vatican. The site also will be censed, the liturgical act of swinging a container holding burning incense. Several symbols of the papacy will be conferred on the new pope: One is the pallium, a white shawl of lamb's wool evoking 'the image of the good shepherd who lays the lost sheep on his shoulders,' according to Vatican News. Another is the Fisherman's Ring, also known as the Piscatory Ring, which represents the pope's connection to St. Peter, a Jewish fisherman and Apostle who became the first pope. The ring is smashed or broken after a pontiff's death. Pope Leo XIV was born Robert Francis Prevost in Chicago on Sept. 14, 1955. Raised in south suburban Dolton, he was the youngest of three brothers in a close-knit Catholic family. They attended the now-closed St. Mary of the Assumption on the Far South Side, where he went to school and sang in the choir. Cardinal Blase Cupich, the archbishop of Chicago, described Prevost as an attentive listener and hard worker, traits he ascribed to his Chicago-area roots. 'I think he learned that in Chicago,' Cupich said during a phone interview with the Tribune. 'The culture on the South Side of Chicago — and Chicago generally — is that we are people who are loyal and hard workers. We are people who love our families and our faith. And I think that shaped him.'
The Herald Scotland
12-05-2025
- Politics
- The Herald Scotland
Chicagoans celebrate first Sunday after the election of Pope Leo IV
"It's fantastic," said David Williams, a South Sider attending a packed Mass at Holy Name Cathedral. "Now we're known for Michael Jordan, Al Capone and the pope. The Chicago holy trinity. We'll let the public decide in what order they want to put them in." Leo's election came as a complete surprise in Chicago. The city of 2.6 million people has long been known as a Catholic bastion in the United States. But a pope from the nation was regarded as unthinkable given America's power on the world stage. Now that Leo has been elected, some say a Chicagoan is actually just what the world needs. "It shows us Jesus brings us from all walks of life, from the very rich to the very poor," said Williams, 62, who welcomed Leo as a continuation of an ethic of service Francis established. "This is a great extension of the Christian tradition." Wife Frieda Williams expects he'll be able to reach all people. "Chicago is multicultural and so they really got someone who is multicultural," said the 68-year-old, noting Leo's dual citizenship with Peru and Creole roots. "They really got someone who represents all people." Parishioners at the church located just north of the Loop said Mass on Sunday after Leo's election was more crowded than Easter. The first Masses in Chicago after Leo's election come as the South Side native delivered his own first Sunday address in St. Peter's Square, warning of a "piecemeal" third world war and appealing for peace. All around his home city, churches were decorated with the yellow and white flags of the Vatican and churchgoers cheered "Viva Papa Leo XIV." Leo loves Chicago, cumbia and tennis, bishop says St. Mary of the Assumption - the church where Leo learned his faith - is shuttered, but other institutions he served at remain and so do many people who knew him back when he was just Robert Francis Prevost. Outside a South Side church on Sunday, Bishop Daniel Turley talked about the moment he learned Leo would be pope. He was at a Chicago house for Augustinians when white smoke started to billow from the Sistine Chapel at Vatican City, letting the world know a new pope had been chosen. Turley, 82, thought then that it could be his old Augustinian brother and fellow South Sider: Robert Prevost. "I did think it could be him, I really did," Turley said. "It was not a total surprise." The two Augustinians followed oddly similar paths. They both grew up in South Side parishes a 20- minute drive apart, both joined the religious order that focuses on service as a path to God and both served in Peru. Turley was bishop of Chulucanas, located near the border with Ecuador and north of Chiclayo, where Leo served as bishop. Turley is also a dual Peruvian citizen. "It's really something - he's from Chicago, he really likes Chicago, knows it well," Turley said. But "he really got a missionary spirit and I think he'll carry that with him as pope, so he'll really have great concern for the whole world." Turley knew the soon-to-be pope as a fellow White Sox fan, avid tennis player and lover of the cumbia music common in northern Peru. Serving as missionaries in the South American country gave them both a special appreciation for their faith, according to Turley. "The people are really holy people who would go the extra mile for you," he said. "That strengthens your faith, when you meet good people and are around them a lot." Attending Mass felt like 'walking on hallowed ground' Everyday South Side parishioners also remember Leo from back when he was Cardinal Prevost. "We were both really excited coming to church today, like we're walking on hallowed ground," said Alondra Aliviar outside Mass at St. Rita of Cascia, the South Side home of the Augustinian religious order Leo once headed. "He's from home, this is our parish, it's such a beautiful thing." Aliviar, 29, was attending Mass with husband Alfredo and their boys Theodore, 14 months, and Lucas, 4 months. The family saw then-Cardinal Prevost on the South Side as recently as last year, when he blessed them. "That's as close as you get to meeting a pope for us," said the 32-year-old dad. "We're shocked, we're blessed, happy and it hits home." Can Leo convert this Cubs fans? Among churchgoers celebrating the news at Mass on Sunday were Ted and Katie Kolbus, in town to visit their son, Nathan. The pair of 53-year-old lifelong Catholics said they had never imagined they'd get to see an American pope, let alone one from the Midwest. "It's just so exciting, especially getting to be here," Katie said. Nathan, 25, was also excited even if the pope is a White Sox fan. "I'm more of a Cubs fan," he said. He dithered when asked if Pope Leo could convert him. "Probably not, they're pretty bad," the downtown office worker said. "But maybe he can help turn things around."
Chicago Tribune
11-05-2025
- General
- Chicago Tribune
‘He's one of us': South Holland church celebrates bragging rights as Pope Leo XIV's de facto home parish
Lionor Zamora went to St. Mary of the Assumption Catholic Church for decades, sending all eight of her children there for school. She has lived in Dolton for more than 30 years and watched both her church close and people move out of the suburb she calls home. The 84-year-old could not believe it when she heard that the new pope was from the same parish she belonged to for years. Her son was in the second grade when Robert Francis Prevost, now Pope Leo XIV, was in eighth grade at St. Mary's school. 'To me, it was a miracle' she said, emphasizing how she got to go back inside the building of the former St. Mary of the Assumption Church. 'Something good came out of Dolton.' She was one of more than 100 worshippers who attended Mass on Sunday at Christ Our Savior Catholic Church in South Holland — the church parishioners were sent to after St. Mary of the Assumption closed. The archdiocese merged St. Mary of the Assumption with Queen of Apostles in Riverdale in 2011 to become the St. Mary, Queen of Apostles church. That parish merged with two others in 2019 to become Christ Our Savior, according to the Chicago Archdiocese. As a result, Christ Our Savior has bragging rights as Prevost's childhood parish. Indeed, Prevost's elevation to pope has also drawn people from outside the community to the South Holland church. The Rev. Gosbert Rwezahura, a pastor at Christ Our Savior, said that more than 40 people have visited the parish since Thursday, coming from places such as Des Plaines and Winnetka. Some of the people who attended Mass on Sunday shared their small connections with the new pope, ranging from in-laws who lived across the street from the pope's childhood home to people who knew his family. 'I thought I was going to be in a grave before we got an American pope,' David M. Kilheeney said. While Kilheeney said he didn't know the pope personally, the 66-year-old said he used to attend St. Mary of the Assumption. He believes he may have been blessed by Pope Leo back when he was a cardinal. Dennis Peters, music director at Christ Our Savior, said he played music at a wedding that Pope Leo officiated for the daughter of a good friend of his named Gary, who passed away. 'When he was named pope, it struck a bell,' Peters said. But the connection did not hit him until Gary's son told Peters that he posted about the tight bond between his dad and the pope on Facebook. 'I know my friend Gary — he's going to be turning handstands in heaven,' Peters said. Throughout both morning Masses, sunlight poured in through the stained glass windows at Christ Our Savior. It was business as usual for the most part, but church leaders also took the time to acknowledge Mother's Day — and the new pope. 'He is one of us,' Rwezahura said at the beginning of the 10:30 a.m. Mass to a crowd of a little more than a hundred people. Applause erupted. Deacon Mel Stasinski made a similar acknowledgement, emphasizing that Pope Leo is not only from the area, but a White Sox fan. 'Go Sox!' one man in the audience at the 8:30 a.m. Mass yelled in response. While the parishioners were praying and honoring Mother's Day, Chicago Cardinal Blase Cupich made a public pitch for Leo to visit his hometown soon. 'It probably won't be the first one,' Cupich said during an appearance on CBS' 'Face the Nation.' 'But we're going to do some heavy lobbying for Chicago to be on the itinerary when he comes to the United States.' Pope Benedict XVI traveled to his native Bavaria on this first international trip in 2006. Pope John Paul II made nine official trips to his Polish homeland and visited Chicago during his 1979 U.S. tour. Pope Francis II traveled extensively during his tenure, but he never visited his native Argentina despite a stated desire to do so. Dolton residents said that the news of Pope Leo has also been a source of pride for the suburb, which has been plagued with scandals, including federal investigations into former Mayor Tiffany Henyard, who recently lost a reelection bid to newly sworn-in Mayor Jason House. 'I'm on the Dolton group on Facebook and the St. Mary's group on Facebook and I've seen the comments, the people who have left Dolton who are like, 'It's no good. It's fallen,'' said Elva Zamora, one of Lionor's children. 'But now everybody's proud that they came from there, and it's like, 'Where were these comments 10 years ago?'' But now — like her mother — the 52-year-old hopes that Pope Leo's election can be a 'unifying moment' for a community that suffered political turmoil under its former mayor. Since news of the pope broke, visitors have flocked to St. Mary of the Assumption to see the church Pope Leo grew up attending, which was an emotional feat for some of those who grew up attending that church. The church is in need of repair, but community members expressed hope that something will be done with the space to honor the legacy of Pope Leo. 'Even if they just have some little shiny looking thing, you know, a plaque or something, stating that this was the home church of the first American pope,' said Diane Sheeran, who used to teach religious education at St. Mary of the Assumption. But regardless of what happens to the building, one thing is clear: The election of Pope Leo brings a new sense of pride for the parishioners of Christ Our Savior. 'It's got to be a shot in the arm,' Stasinski said. 'We're tucked away here on the South Side of Chicago and we've been experiencing a lot of merging parishes and so on. It's been tough on parishioners when they have to leave their parish and go to another when they get merged. And I think this gives a shot in the arm to everybody — they're proud of the parish.'
