Chicagoans ask – Mayor Brandon Johnson met Pope Leo XIV at Vatican City, and Chicago-area residents used the moment to press the pontiff on church-state separation, AI, clergy abuse, women priests, education, and his Chicago roots.
VATICAN CITY — Mayor Brandon Johnson left Vatican City on Thursday after spending about an hour with Pope Leo XIV, discussing war, affordability, and the legacy of slavery.
For many Chicagoans, that meeting was more than a headline. It became a chance to imagine getting the pontiff’s ear for five minutes — and to ask questions that reach from policy to faith, from technology to trauma, and back to the south suburbs.
Paul Lockwood said his first question would be about the separation of church and state. along with whether the pope “has a good sense of humor.” Derek D. Forest put the emphasis on pressure — asking what additional strain. if any. Pope Leo XIV feels to remain true to God’s word and truth even when it collides with “the trending downward of America’s current value system.”.
John Dunn Smith’s question went in a very modern direction: “How did he start and continue to question AI?” Joe framed his inquiry around stewardship, asking what responsibilities people have if the earth is “a gift from God,” and how caretakers should act to protect its viability.
Others focused on pain inside the Church. Terry Steubenville asked about the Church’s treatment of survivors of abuse by clergy and religious — and contrasted it with what he described as empathy and compassion shown to abusers.
Several Chicago-area Catholics tied their questions to lived experience in the region. Jennifer Bronson Jackson said she would ask the pope if he ever “hung out at Orland Park’s mall” like she did. Janet Volk wanted to hear more about his early years in Chicago’s south suburbs. saying she was “especially curious” about the people who shaped him and the moments — “even seemingly inconsequential ones” — that led him to his current path.
Questions also returned to the structure and direction of the Church itself. Brian Piper asked, plainly: “When will the church permit women to become priests?”
Angel Garcia challenged the Archdiocese of Chicago’s priorities for Catholic education. He asked why Cardinal Blase Cupich and COO Betsy Bohlen appear to treat Catholic education as “merely as a financial line item. ” pointing to more than $500 million in liquid assets. Garcia said the schools have been closed over what he described as “relatively modest annual deficits of $140. 000. ” and he argued those shortfalls could likely be resolved through better management. stronger oversight. and a renewed commitment to the Church’s educational mission.
For some, the pope’s message and personal attention were the focus. tpturneriv said it was “so very neat (and appropriate)” that Pope Leo XIV quoted J.R.R. Tolkien in his first Encyclical. adding that he is “truly a Mellon [friend].” Angel Pia Jr said he would ask Pope Leo what his greatest concerns are and that they would “pray over it.” Chris Devine asked when — and if — the pope plans to come back to visit Chicago.
A lighter note came from Daniel Novik, who simply asked: “How ‘bout those Sox!”
The questions. gathered from around the city and beyond. reflect a single reality: Johnson’s Vatican meeting landed back home in the hands of people who want faith to feel immediate — not distant — and who want answers that match the stakes they see in their own lives. from institutions to survivors. from technology to tradition.
Pope Leo XIV Brandon Johnson Vatican City Chicagoans Archdiocese of Chicago Blase Cupich Betsy Bohlen Catholic education women priests AI clergy abuse survivors separation of church and state