Good afternoon, Chicago. ✶
Many in the world are mourning the loss of Pope Francis, who died early Monday morning at age 88.
Francis, history’s first Latin American pontiff, charmed the masses with his humble style and concern for the poor, but alienated conservatives with critiques of capitalism and climate change.
In today’s newsletter: How Chicagoans are remembering the late pontiff — and how likely it is that the next pope could be American.
Plus: Mayor Brandon Johnson considers making city government cuts, the Chicago woman who made soap operas into must-see TV and more news you need to know this afternoon.
⏱️: A 7-minute read
TODAY’S TOP STORY
Chicagoans react to death of Pope Francis
Reporting by Mohammad Samra, Lauren FitzPatrick and the Associated Press
Holy See’s legacy: Pope Francis’ progressive bent included outreach to LGBTQ+ Catholics and migrants and a crackdown on traditionalists. His greatest test came in 2018, when he botched a notorious case of clergy sexual abuse in Chile, the Associated Press reports — as well as scandals that festered under his predecessors, which erupted anew on his watch.
‘He’s at peace’: Eileen Walsh commuted for more than an hour Monday to get to Holy Name Cathedral in River North for morning Mass after learning of Francis’ death. “They say he’s at peace, and I feel when people leave this world, they’re at peace,” Walsh said tearfully.
‘Progressively minded’: Michael Thiry was among the first same-sex couples in Chicago to be blessed by a priest after Francis allowed the practice in 2023. “It’s a sad day because he was really the first pope who was progressively minded, reaching out the gay community, reaching out to migrants, and even the way he lived his life — without pomp and circumstance,” Thiry said.
What’s next: The Sun-Times took a look at the well-choreographed transition process, breaking down what will happen and why the next pope probably won’t be American.
WHAT ELSE IS GOING ON?
- Mayor considers cuts: With a $1.12 billion budget shortfall and $3 billion more in federal funds on the chopping block, Mayor Brandon Johnson on Monday cracked the door open to the prospect of layoffs and service cuts.
- O’Hare runway ‘incursions’: Four city workers have been disciplined or ticketed for three incidents over the last year in which they accidentally breached active runways at O’Hare Airport with their ground vehicles, records show.
- Cost of camp: How much is your Chicago Park District summer camp? A new Sun-Times tool shows how much camp costs have risen this year.
- Chicago celebrates 4/20: Easter Sunday and 4/20, the high holiday for weed fans, fell on the same day for the first time in 11 years. And patrons at Chicago’s pot shops were out celebrating their preferred holiday.
- 3.5 stars for ‘Translations’: This thoughtful and moving production considers language in all its contradictions, as a vehicle for understanding and misunderstanding, human progress, and historical loss, writes Steven Oxman in a review for the Sun-Times.
CHICAGO HISTORY 📺
Irna Phillips is the Chicago woman who made soap operas must-see TV
Reporting by Natalie Y. Moore
Meet the writer: Born in 1901 and raised in a large Chicago family, Irna Phillips started off wanting to be an actress but was deemed too plain. From that rejection, she would go on to work in radio, eventually creating soap operas and revolutionizing television.
Fresh canvas: While working at WGN Radio, the bosses asked Phillips if she would write a daily narrative, scripted show for women. In 1930, “Painted Dreams” debuted and aired five days a week — and thus Phillips birthed the genre known as the daytime serial. She was an ambitious and independent woman who pushed to take her show nationwide. WGN didn’t agree, so Phillips moved on to develop more shows elsewhere.
Success story: Daytime serials dominated radio, and Phillips usually had three of her shows in the Top 10. In post-World War II America, commercial goods companies wanted to tap into the domesticity of the white middle class. They realized the daytime serial could be a conduit to customers. Soaps and detergents became sponsors, and the serials became known as “soap operas.”
Enter TV: Television changed broadcasting. Phillips’ program “The Guiding Light” was the only radio soap to transition to TV. She introduced the “cliffhanger” storytelling device and the mercurial female vixen character who still lives on the small screen today.
Listen up: The newest season of WBEZ’s “Making” program dives into the history of daytime soap operas and their broad reach on television. Listen to each episode so far here and stay tuned for a new iteration every Tuesday. 🎧
BRIGHT ONE ✨
Hundreds of families celebrate Easter at annual egg hunt in East Garfield Park
Reporting by Violet Miller
Hundreds of families gathered in East Garfield Park on Saturday afternoon to hunt for 50,000 candy-filled eggs ahead of Easter Sunday.
Cornelius Parks, lead pastor at Harvest Worship Center Ministries, has helped organize the annual egg hunt that’s now in its 12th year. Initially, the event started out small — but 200 to 300 families joined this year’s hunt Saturday.
Claudia Lopez, of west suburban Bellwood, brought her 7-year-old and 5-year-old to the event and appreciated the safe space for her young kids.
“Being able to take my kids out to a place where it’s gonna be different types of races, different types of people … it’s a good feeling,” she said. “I feel good that they’re able to have and do things outside.”
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Written by: Matt Moore
Editor: Eydie Cubarrubia