Although the owner of Pope Leo XIV’s boyhood home in south suburban Dolton has announced plans to auction the house in mid-June, village leaders in the south suburb have decided to pursue acquiring the house on East 141st Place through either direct purchase or, failing that, through eminent domain.

The plan – intersecting the use taxpayer funds and a religious organization – has raised concerns, and not just limited to the First Amendment separation of Church and State.

The Village of Dolton plans to take ownership of Pope Leo XIV’s childhood home through eminent domain.