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Pope Leo XIV’s modest childhood Chicago home, marketed as a “piece of Papal history,” is now available to the highest bidder.
In the days before Leo made history as the first American-born pope last week, the three-bedroom, two-bathroom home in the suburb of Dolton had been listed for less than $250,000.
Now the house is being offered up “via a luxury private auction” after the seller briefly took it off the market last week in a “truly one-of-a-kind opportunity.”
“This beautifully updated home isn't just a charming 3-bedroom, 3-bathroom residence...It's the childhood home of Pope Leo XIV, the first American Pope in history,” the listing says.
“Pope Leo XIV's journey from this humble neighborhood to the Vatican is a testament to faith, perseverance, and purpose. Now, you have the rare chance to own a tangible piece of his inspiring legacy,” the listing adds.
The house has had a makeover since Leo and his family lived there, with a newly renovated interior “offering a modern touch while maintaining its original character,” the listing says.
Realtor Steve Budzik previously told The Independent that he thought the news about Leo and the house was a “joke.”
“When the first reporter called me with the news…I was, at first, taken aback,” Budzik said last week. “I didn't see it on any news channel, so I was almost like, ‘is this a joke?’”
“I immediately called my client, who said the same thing: ‘Are you joking? Come on, stop messing around,’” Budzik recounted. “I'm like, ‘No, this is real.’”
Budzik said that the seller was musing over whether the house could be a museum or a historical landmark.
The home last sold in May 2024 for $66,000. It’s unclear exactly when Pope Leo lived in the home, but his family owned it from the year he was born until 1996, when he was 41 and working as a missionary in Peru.
Born in Chicago, Illinois, in 1955, Prevost grew up in Chicago’s south suburbs in the home where he lived with his parents and two brothers.
Leo’s brother John Prevost lives in New Lenox, Illinois, just 30 minutes away from the childhood home.
Budzik said previously that the seller wanted to speak to Prevost to consult with the family first.
“He just wants to really look at all of his different options, including trying to get in contact with Pope Leo's brother, who is local to where both of us live in New Lenox, and seeing if there's anything that you know the family would like to see done with the property,” Budzik previously said of his client.
English (US) ·