In Chicago, pope’s hometown, Catholics express shock and support
Chicago Catholics Rally in Prayer After Pope Leo XIV’s Lung Surgery
Bharatmorningnews.com – Churches across Chicago became places of quiet concern and determined prayer Wednesday as Catholics reacted to news that Pope Leo XIV had undergone surgery and that a removed lung nodule was found to be cancerous.
The pope, born Robert Francis Prevost on Chicago’s South Side in 1955, remains closely connected to the city where he grew up. For many local Catholics, the medical news felt deeply personal: their hometown pope had entered a difficult period of treatment only months after becoming the first American-born leader of the Roman Catholic Church.
Doctors removed part of the 71-year-old pontiff’s right lung during an operation on Tuesday. The global Catholic community, numbering about 1.4 billion people, was awaiting biopsy findings that would show whether the cancer had spread beyond the nodule.
By Wednesday, doctors said Pope Leo was walking, eating and showing normal progress in post-operative tests. That update offered encouragement to parishioners while leaving many focused on the uncertain days ahead.
Personal concern at Holy Name Cathedral
Outside Holy Name Cathedral in Chicago, Gail Spreen spoke after attending a service and described the initial reaction as one of disbelief and concern. Her own experience with cancer made the news especially painful.
“It was a shock to everyone. I have to say my husband passed away from cancer, so I know that feeling,”
Despite the gravity of the diagnosis, Spreen said she drew confidence from the pope’s character and the scale of support surrounding him.
“He is a strong person, and he has so many people that are behind him and are praying for him,” she said. “So we totally believe he'll be okay.”
For Catholics, prayer is often both a response to illness and an expression of solidarity. In Chicago, that response has extended from formal Masses to private visits to churches, candle lighting and personal intentions offered for the pope’s recovery.
A spiritual response to a medical crisis
Father Louis Cameli, a priest at Holy Name Cathedral, said the moment should be understood as more than a health bulletin. He described it as an invitation for believers to deepen their faith in the face of anxiety.
“Of course there's great concern and a certain kind of sadness, but at the same time, this has really, I think, provoked people to pray, reaffirm their trust in God, and put him in God's hands,” Cameli said.
His remarks reflected the atmosphere in parish communities across the city. The news has prompted worry about the pope’s condition, but it has also renewed a shared sense of responsibility among worshippers who see prayer as a way to support him from afar.
Thomas Abood, standing outside the cathedral, said the development was particularly hard after the optimism Pope Leo had brought to many believers.
“Really difficult to take”
Abood said the pope had introduced a “new breath of hope,” a sentiment that has resonated strongly in the city of his birth. Pope Leo’s election last May was embraced warmly by American Catholics, especially in Chicago, where his personal history is part of the city’s religious identity.
South Side roots remain meaningful
Pope Leo’s ties to Chicago are not simply biographical. He was raised on the South Side and has remained associated with the city throughout his life. He is also a longtime supporter of the Chicago White Sox, whose ballpark stands on the South Side.
Those familiar local details have helped make him feel accessible to Chicago residents, even after assuming one of the most prominent religious roles in the world. For parishioners, he is at once the pope and someone shaped by their own neighborhoods, churches and civic culture.
Father Mark Mannion of St. Mary of the Angels Catholic Church said the news had noticeably increased the number of people coming through the church’s doors. Some have stopped in briefly to pray; others have incorporated the pope’s health into their participation at Mass.
“Everybody's been coming in. They might light a candle for him, pray for him at Mass,” he said.
Mannion also pointed to the resilience often associated with Pope Leo’s Chicago upbringing.
“You know, like I said in my homily the other day, he's from the South Side, so he's tough... and I think he'll roll forward.”
Hope alongside uncertainty
The surgery and cancer finding have created a moment of concern for Catholics well beyond Chicago. The awaited biopsy results will provide important information about the pope’s health and the next stage of his care. Until then, the encouraging signs following surgery have offered some reassurance without removing the uncertainty that comes with a cancer diagnosis.
In Chicago, the immediate response has been less about speculation than accompaniment. Parishioners have gathered in churches, spoken openly about their fears and relied on traditions of prayer that many turn to during illness and loss.
For those who knew the pope’s story before he became Leo XIV, the concern carries an added local dimension. His South Side origins, his White Sox loyalty and his continuing emotional connection to the city have made his illness feel close to home. As Chicago Catholics wait for further medical information, many are expressing the same message: concern for their hometown pope, confidence in his strength and prayers for his recovery.
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