Chicago Catholics rally for prayer in Pope Leo’s hometown after his lung cancer diagnosis

Chicago Catholics gathered for a special prayer service dedicated to Pope Leo XIV, the first American-born pontiff, following his diagnosis of lung cancer. The service took place at Holy Name Cathedral in Chicago, where the faithful expressed shock, concern, and support for the 71-year-old, whose health revelations challenged the Vatican's secrecy surrounding papal ailments.

Pope Leo, born in Bronzeville, Chicago, in 1955 and raised in suburban Dolton, studied theology at the Catholic Theological Union of Chicago before serving as the first American-born pope. He underwent surgery to remove the lower lobe of his right lung, confirming the diagnosis of lung adenocarcinoma, the most common type of lung cancer.

The archbishop of Chicago, Cardinal Blase J. Cupich, encouraged community members to pray for the pope's recovery, emphasizing his potential for further contributions and wisdom. Meanwhile, individuals like Katrina Coker, from Johns Creek, Georgia, who was in Chicago this week, attended Mass at the pope's hometown to offer prayers for his well-being, seeing him as a living embodiment of true Catholicism.