Pope's Hometown Approves Buying His Childhood Home

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-story 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, the AP reports. 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 skeptical about any benefit to taxpayers, questioning whether the financially strained village could afford to purchase the home and maintain the streets surrounding it. 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.

"We can either seize this moment going forward or we can let that moment go to an investor," House said. Other board members echoed the mayor's excitement over the purchase, as some spoke of how the childhood homes of Michael Jackson and the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. offered economic opportunity to their communities. Gino Ferrari, president of Windy City Construction Group, said he offered a 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." The current owner bought the home for $66,000 last year.