&w=3840&q=100)
Pope Leo XIV's hometown okays childhood home buy, eyes village revival
AP Chicago
Pope Leo XIV's hometown is poised to buy his childhood home after the south Chicago suburb's board voted unanimously Tuesday to purchase the property, hoping it will breathe new life into a village saddled with financial woes.
Since white smoke billowed in May from the Sistine Chapel and Pope Leo XIV was elected Pope Francis' successor, the new pope's childhood home a small, two-storey house in Dolton, Illinois, about 20 miles south of Chicago has drawn visitors from across the country with many treating it as a pilgrimage site.
Cardinal Robert Prevost made history by becoming the first pope from the United States a stunning decision that Chicagoans celebrated by flocking to churches and sharing memes.
Prevost was born in 1955 in the South Side Chicago neighborhood of Bronzeville and grew up in suburban Dolton, near St Mary of the Assumption, where he attended Mass and elementary school.
He later studied theology at the Catholic Theological Union of Chicago in the Hyde Park neighbourhood and taught in local Catholic schools, including at St Rita High School.
Dolton Mayor Jason House called purchasing the pope's childhood home a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity during a Tuesday meeting of the Dolton Village Board. The childhood homes of other popes have often been turned into museums or pilgrimage sites.
This is a proud moment for our village and an opportunity, and we want to make sure that we're doing it justice," he said.
Yet several residents at Tuesday's meeting were sceptical about any benefit to taxpayers, questioning whether the financially strained village could afford to purchase the home and maintain the streets surrounding it.
The board hired former Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot to probe the village's finances last year, and she found Dolton's bank accounts had been depleted. The village was $3.65 million in debt and had unpaid bills piling up.
Dolton gained national attention amid allegations of its former Mayor Tiffany Henyard's financial mismanagement, corruption and failure to follow state transparency laws by turning over spending and other records.
Purchasing the pope's residence is admirable, Dolton resident Mary Avent told the board on Tuesday. But with the state we're in right now, I guess my concern is, do we have the money?" House said he is committed to repairing the streets surrounding Prevost's childhood home and assured residents he understood their concerns. Still, he said the sale will likely close within two weeks.
The house's listed owner did not immediately respond to a request for comment Wednesday.
We can either seize this moment going forward or we can let that moment go to an investor," House said. I would like our community to get the benefit of this opportunity.
Other board members echoed the mayor's excitement over the purchase, as some spoke of how the childhood homes of Michael Jackson and Martin Luther King Jr offered economic opportunity to their communities.
A recent post on the village's Facebook account showed workers repairing the house's roof and celebrated the home for bringing new energy and attention to our village.
Gino Ferrari, president of Windy City Construction Group, said he offered the full roof replacement for free to the current owner, saying he wanted to make sure this roof lasts a long time.
In front of the home, the company put up a sign with an image of Pope Leo XIV and the words "Pope Leo's childhood home" and A roof for the pope's roots.
As crews worked on the roof Tuesday, they chatted with neighbours who offered them water and bike riders who travelled along the lakefront from Chicago to see the house.
Dolton has been through a lot in the last few years, so this is such a great, positive moment for Dolton," Ferrari said. "The community seems pretty excited.
(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Mint
17 minutes ago
- Mint
‘No reason to meet': Kim Jong Un's sister rejects outreach by South Korea, dims hope for resuming diplomacy. But why?
Kim Yo Jong, the powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, dismissed recent outreach efforts by South Korea's new liberal administration on Monday, criticising its 'blind trust' in the US alliance and continued hostility toward Pyongyang. She claimed the government is no different from its conservative predecessors. Her remarks suggest that North Korea, currently focused on deepening ties with Russia, sees little value in returning to talks with Seoul or Washington shortly. Analysts believe her comments are aimed at sowing discord between South Korea and the United States, AP reported. 'We clarify once again the official stand that no matter what policy is adopted and whatever proposal is made in Seoul, we have no interest in it and there is neither a reason to meet nor an issue to be discussed,' Kim Yo Jong said in a statement carried by state media. It's North Korea's first official statement on the government of South Korean President Lee Jae Myung, which took office in early June with a promise to improve badly frayed ties with North Korea. Lee's government has halted anti-Pyongyang frontline loudspeaker broadcasts, taken steps to ban activists from flying balloons with propaganda leaflets across the border and repatriated North Koreans who were drifted south in wooden boats months earlier. North Korea has shunned talks with South Korea and the U.S. since leader Kim Jong Un's high-stakes nuclear diplomacy with President Donald Trump fell apart in 2019 due to wrangling over international sanctions. North Korea has since focused on building more powerful nuclear weapons targeting its rivals and declared a hostile 'two-state' system on the Korean Peninsula to terminate relations with South Korea. Kim Yo Jong called Lee's steps 'sincere efforts' to develop ties, but said the new government still 'stands in confrontation' with North Korea. She mentioned the upcoming summertime South Korea-U.S. military drills, which North Korea views as an invasion rehearsal. South Korea's Unification Ministry responded that it will steadfastly seek reconciliation with North Korea to realise peaceful co-existence. Spokesperson Koo Byoungsam told reporters that the statement shows North Korea closely monitors the Lee government's North Korea policy despite deep mistrust. Moon Seong Mook, an analyst for the Seoul-based Korea Research Institute for National Strategy, said Kim Yo Jong's statement shows North Korea is holding out for South Korea to abandon the U.S. alliance. Moon said that Kim likely sees little upside in engaging with the South since it cannot restart economic projects that previously benefited the North as long as international sanctions remain in place. North Korea has deepened its cooperation with Russia, reportedly sending troops and conventional weapons to support the war in Ukraine, likely in exchange for economic and technological aid. Since starting his second term in January, Donald Trump has frequently touted his personal relationship with Kim Jong Un, expressing a desire to revive diplomatic talks. However, Pyongyang has yet to publicly respond to his overtures. According to Leif-Eric Easley, a professor of international studies at Ewha Womans University in Seoul, Kim Yo Jong's recent statement was primarily intended for a domestic audience. 'Kim Yo Jong's comments are an effort to advance national pride by portraying North Korea in a superior position, despite its economic struggles and international pariah status,' Easley said. 'She also seeks to justify Pyongyang's weapons programs and divide Seoul and Washington by criticising upcoming military exercises.' Still, there is a limit on what North Korea can get from Russia, and Pyongyang could change course at a major upcoming meeting of the ruling Workers' Party, likely to be held in January, said Kwak Gil Sup, the head of One Korea Center, a website specialising in North Korea affairs. We have no interest in it and there is neither a reason to meet nor an issue to be discussed. "I think North Korea may formulate a Plan B and Plan C in relations for South Korea and the U.S.,' Kwak said.
Indian Express
an hour ago
- Indian Express
US, China officials to hold trade talks in Stockholm: What to expect?
Senior officials from the United States and China will meet in Stockholm today to discuss trade and economic issues, in what both sides describe as a step toward easing tensions. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng will be meeting for the third time this year, nearly four months after President Donald Trump proposed sweeping tariffs, including an import tax of up to 145% on Chinese goods. The meeting is also expected to lay the groundwork for a potential meeting between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping later this year. The planned meeting in the Swedish capital is part of broader efforts by both countries to stabilise a relationship that has been strained by trade disputes, technology competition, and geopolitical rivalry. While officials have kept the agenda under wraps, it is expected, as per AP, that the discussions will cover: This could be the first real opportunity for the two governments to address structural reform issues including market access in China for US companies, said Sean Stein, president of the US-China Business Council, as per AP. The US imposed a 20% tariff on fentanyl-related products earlier this year. China responded with a 10% tariff on US goods. In July, China placed two fentanyl precursor chemicals under enhanced control. Gabriel Wildau, managing director at the consultancy Teneo, said major relief is unlikely. 'It's possible that Trump would cancel the 20% tariff that he has explicitly linked with fentanyl… but I would expect the final tariff level on China to be at least as high as the 15–20% rate contained in the recent deals with Japan, Indonesia, Vietnam.' A key concern for Washington is China's industrial overcapacity. 'Right now, many companies, especially in manufacturing, feel quite deeply that China's manufacturing capacity is so strong, and the Chinese people are incredibly diligent,' Chinese Premier Li Qiang said on Thursday, as per Bloomberg News. 'Factories run 24 hours a day.' The US is expected to pressure China on reducing oil purchases from Russia and Iran. The Stockholm talks will be 'geared towards building a trade agreement based around Chinese purchase commitments and pledges of investment in the US in exchange for partial relief from US tariffs and export controls,' Wildau said, as per AP. (With inputs from AP)
News18
an hour ago
- News18
Asian shares mixed after Wall Street sets more records for US stocks
Agency: PTI Last Updated: Bangkok, Jul 28 (AP) Stock markets in Asia were mixed on Monday after US stocks rose to more records as they closed out another winning week. US futures and oil prices were higher ahead of trade talks in Stockholm between US and Chinese officials. European futures rose after the European Union forged a deal with the Trump administration calling for 15% tariffs on most exports to the US. The agreement announced after President Donald Trump and European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen met briefly at Trump's Turnberry golf course in Scotland staves off far higher import duties on both sides that might have sent shock waves through economies around the globe. Tokyo's Nikkei 225 index lost 1% to 41,056.81 after doubts surfaced over what exactly the trade truce between Japan and US President Donald Trump, especially the $550 billion pledge of investment in the US by Japan, will entail. Terms of the deal are still being negotiated and nothing has been formalized in writing, said an official, who insisted on anonymity to detail the terms of the talks. The official suggested the goal was for a $550 billion fund to make investments at Trump's direction. Hong Kong's Hang Seng index gained 0.4% to 25,490.45 while the Shanghai Composite index lost 0.2% to 3,587.25. Taiwan's Taiex rose 0.3%. Elsewhere in Asia, South Korea's Kospi was little changed at 3,195.49, while Australia's S&P/ASX 200 rose 0.3% to 8,688.40. India's Sensex slipped 0.1%. Markets in Thailand were closed for a holiday. On Friday, the S&P 500 rose 0.4% to 6,388.64, setting an all-time for the fifth time in a week. The Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed 0.5% to 44,901.92, while the Nasdaq composite added 0.2%, closing at 21,108.32 to top its own record. Deckers, the company behind Ugg boots and Hoka shoes, jumped 11.3% after reporting stronger profit and revenue for the spring than analysts expected. Its growth was particularly strong outside the United States, where revenue soared nearly 50%. But Intell fell 8.5% after reporting a loss for the latest quarter, when analysts were looking for a profit. The struggling chipmaker also said it would cut thousands of jobs and eliminate other expenses as it tries to turn around its fortunes. Intel, which helped launch Silicon Valley as the U.S. technology hub, has fallen behind rivals like Nvidia and Advanced Micro Devices while demand for artificial intelligence chips soars. Companies are under pressure to deliver solid growth in profits to justify big gains for their stock prices, which have rallied to record after record in recent weeks. Wall Street has zoomed higher on hopes that President Donald Trump will reach trade deals with other countries that will lower his stiff proposed tariffs, along with the risk that they could cause a recession and drive up inflation. Trump has recently announced deals with Japan and the Philippines, and the next big deadline is looming on Friday, Aug 1. Apart from trade talks, this week will also feature a meeting by the Federal Reserve on interest rates. Trump again on Thursday lobbied the Fed to cut rates, which he has implied could save the US government money on its debt repayments. Fed Chair Jerome Powell has said he is waiting for more data about how Trump's tariffs affect the economy and inflation before making a move. The widespread expectation on Wall Street is that the Fed will wait until September to resume cutting interest rates. In other dealings early Monday, US benchmark crude oil gained 24 cents to $65.40 per barrel. Brent crude, the international standard, also added 24 cents to $67.90 per barrel. The dollar rose to 147.72 Japanese yen from 147.71 yen. The euro slipped to $1.1755 from $1.1758. (AP) NSA NSA (This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed - PTI) view comments First Published: July 28, 2025, 11:15 IST News agency-feeds Asian shares mixed after Wall Street sets more records for US stocks Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
