>> Hello and thanks for joining us on Chicago tonight.

I'm Brandis Friedman.

Here's what we're looking at.

>> We give us a more expansive view of what we could be.

>> Remembering the life and legacy of Pope Francis and what's next for the Catholic Church.

And Robert F Kennedy Junior's approach to autism.

Research sets off a firestorm in the autism community.

>> First off tonight, Roman Catholics around the world and here in Chicago are mourning the death of Pope Francis.

The pontiff died of a stroke and heart failure.

This Easter Monday, Chicago Cardinal Blase Cupich remembers the compassion of Francis.

>> I come away with a great sense of gratitude that I got to be a part of that and live in a time in which he was pope.

He energized the church to move forward.

He gave us a more expansive view of what we could be, especially as he called us to be the field hospital in the world to reach out to people who are suffering, but also reminded us that the name of God is mercy.

>> Pope Francis was 88 and we'll have much more on his legacy in a moment.

Under the threat of federal funding cuts and after a tumultuous budget battle last year, Mayor Brandon Johnson is getting ahead of this year's budget season with a new executive order forming a working group to develop solutions to the city's fiscal issues.

>> You can't resolve big structural problems that involved the revenue which feeds the city of Chicago to the services.

It provides the capacity but to provide those services unless you have everyone at the table and you have everything on the table.

This executive order does precisely that.

>> While signing the order, Mayor Johnson warned that Chicago will have to do more with less and that the city is at a crossroads.

But officials have forecast a 1.2 billion dollar deficit in 2026. which could increase to 1.6 billion if the economy worsens significantly, even with a robust economy, they say the best case is a 634 million dollar budget hole in 2026.

And it's predicted to get worse in 2027.

For more on that, please visit our website.

The working group is due to submit recommendations at the end of August just in time for next year's budget process to begin.

Parents of a Chicago public school students with autism say he was sexually assaulted at school and are suing the Board of Education.

>> This boy is not is virtually not completely virtually nonverbal.

His ability to defend itself from a vicious assault like this sadly not exist.

is the school district's failure to provide the full time supervision called for of eyes, individual education plan.

That is the upshot of this lawsuit.

>> Attorneys for the family say the 15 year-old boy who they are not naming was a 10th grade student at Sullivan High School.

The student's individualized education plan or IEP for students with special needs called for a one to one adult aide at all times.

But attorneys claim he was allowed to go to the bathroom alone despite his IEP, it was during one of those instances in late January.

They say when he was sexually assaulted in high school restroom by a fellow student, the Chicago Board of Education says it cannot comment on pending or ongoing litigation.

Up next, remembering Pope Francis right after this.

>> Chicago tonight is made possible in part by the Alexander and John Nichols family.

The gym and K maybe family.

The Pope Brothers Foundation and the support of these donors.

>> As we just mentioned, Pope Francis born Jorge Mario Bergoglio died Monday making his last public appearance to bless thousands for Easter Sunday.

He was the first Latin American and just what pontiff known as a humble change agent who often clashed with traditional Catholics.

Roman Catholic leaders are reflecting on his 12 years in the papacy and the future of the church.

Joining us now, our jewelry, Bishop Lawrence Sullivan of the Archdiocese of Chicago, Michael Murphy, the director of the Hank Center for Catholic Intellectual Heritage at Loyola University, Chicago and Steven Millions, a professor of public, the algae at the Catholic Theological Union.

We are hoping to be joined by Reverend CEO Sanchez from the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe.

And still working on connecting with him.

But we think the 3 of you for joining us, Bishop Sullivan, let's start with you, please.

We know that Pope Francis had been very ill these last few months.

What is your reaction to his passing this Easter Monday?

>> It's really a mixture of both sadness.

We're certainly going to mourn the loss of a truly wonderful leader.

Someone who it was a great example who left their faith and word and action.

also time to really be grateful for is phenomenal So it's a mixture of sadness and sorrow, but also one >> of gratitude Thanksgiving.

>> course, he just giving Easter blessings at Saint Peter's Square on Easter Sunday.

What was his message?

>> The message really is that been very consistent.

And that is to have a sense of dignity and respect and love for one another, too.

Welcome the presence of Jesus into our hearts and 2 be really examples of his goodness in the world.

>> Stephen Millie's, he came to be pope after Pope Benedict retired, of course, in 2013.

What do you think he was chosen at the time?

Well, a lot of it actually had to do with things.

Their internals of the church, administrative things inside the Korea, the Cardinals who chose him.

We think we, of course, don't know exactly what happens inside a conclave.

>> But we think that the Cardinals who chose him were concerned about having someone who could come up and clean up the administrative part of the church.

We should say that's been an important success of the Francis papacy.

He has reorganized the Korea.

And of course, we would also want to add as the first Latin American pope, he represents where most Catholics in the world are in many ways than he was the perfect person for the job.

>> Michael Michael Murphy.

How was his vision for the church in his leadership?

Different from previous?

>> Things a listening past or so.

There's a great reform and the 60's Vatican to I think he sees his legacy as implementing at second stage and a church.

You know, in those days it open the windows, let the air and the Pope Francis said on record, open the windows to let Jesus out.

And that's the spirit.

And that becomes a lot Latino.

All that American sensibility, the Holy Spirit to kind of partner with always spear and the president to all persons, all creation.

But in Jesus out to be among the people who are out there to be among everyone else.

Not only in here with that is I understand correctly.

>> Bishop, does the pope have such a worldwide influence?

>> But there over a billion Catholics throughout the world.

One of the interesting things about the Catholic Church is that we really do have people at the ground all over the world.

And so we know what's going on from real world stories and from being present.

And so the Holy father is able to bring that information to gather and to really address the needs of all people because he's getting firsthand knowledge of what is really happening in the world.

>> His stances on some of what could be some controversial issues, particularly marriage contraception drew some criticism from some of that conservative members of the Catholic especially here in the U.S. How was he received by the church here?

I think that he really is a wonderful example of what it means to >> be motivated by God's love for all people.

And I think that was a very consistent message of Pope Francis.

He was someone who demonstrate that while we're not perfect to God's love for us is perfect people.

>> Michael.

In 2015, he became the first pope to address the U.S. Why did he want to do that at the time?

What was his message?

a good so happy did because it was bold and many know, the thing about today and Steve writes about the stuff like that to kind of remind Americans of who they are and a great kind of quartet of people.

I was at Merton Dorothy Day at Abraham Lincoln Martin is okay.

>> And so and in broken English.

But the the credibility and I remember, John, are now Woods, who's the guy from Ohio John Van or a Catholic?

>> Yes, we but but often to box of Kleenex for every time.

but it was it was authentic and he was moved to action in a way.

I think that nobody really could account for.

So that was all that was a landmark visit.

I remember it.

Well.

>> Stephen Nellis, same question to you.

Why?

Why do you think he wanted to do that?

What do you remember of his message at the time?

Well, I largely echo most of what Mike said.

I think I would add, you know, certainly Pope Francis was coming to a United States that was very divided.

He came.

>> And he spoke to the bishops of the United States at Saint Matthew Matthews Cathedral in spoke about the unity of the church is a seamless garment that cannot be divided.

Every bishop in that room would have known that a Pope Francis was making a reference to of Cardinal Bernadine from here in Chicago who had talked about a seamless garment of life in a different sense.

But nevertheless, the reference would have been recognizable.

Pope Francis was trying to call on all of U.S. Catholics and Americans, all people everywhere of goodwill to recognize what we share in common and to recognize that those things that we share in common are important to help us to build up the world.

They make the world more just more peaceful and more free for everyone.

>> He he says he saw the church as a field hospital after battle.

And we've heard that Kuehl used, you know, quite a lot in the last night.

Even 24 hours since learning about his death.

What did he mean by that?

What was he calling on his flock to do or to be?

Well, I think there's a couple of things.

One question side of it is, of course, what we all know from daily life.

>> Every day of life is a battle to one degree or another.

No matter who you are from the pope down to to the the person who is taking advantage of the showers.

The Pope Francis had installed for people under the colonnade in Saint Peter's Square.

Every day of life is battle.

And so in that sense of the church is a place with the medicine of mercy is administered, not just for Catholics, but to everyone through all of the countless ministries that the church undertakes.

But on the other side of that is the church.

That is the field hospital that has to recognize its mission is for the whole world.

It's a not particular or a parochial mission for Roman Catholics.

Our mission is to the whole world.

We are here for the world to accompany every person in it.

And to that degree, Pope Francis, I think with that wonderful metaphor called all of us together to see that.

Michael, what changes did he make for the church for the entirety of the church sent to carry out that Colin, what what were some of the changes he made I think the legacy Purdy writes, I think legacy is going to be his emphasis on Senate Ala Day.

>> Which is a tough word for very easy concept.

And that is to walk with each other.

>> It's an older concept in the church.

But if you heard some some of brothers, a sister Catholics would say it's it's new.

But what Pope Francis really like?

My dad always said you have one mouth and 2 years for a reason.

And we should lead with listening.

That doesn't mean you change supremacy, the bishops that doesn't mean changing doctrine.

But it does mean your company, your be more humane and being more of living out the Gospel and Pope Francis model that better than most anybody can think of quite honestly.

>> One of the one of the steps that he took opening the door a little bit wider for women to be leaders in the church.

Tell us about that.

That's right.

He the under Pope Francis's leadership is a Pacific.

It he elevated.

I think 3, at least 2.

>> They want a secretary.

It to the other Vatican decisions that have never been held by women.

So that's a I mean, it moves kind of slow, I think for a lot of us, it's, you know, the pace is slow, but these are revolutionary, you know, kind of events in the life of the church.

>> Bishop, one of the things Stephen just mentioned this a bit ago, but he was also notable is the first modern pope to come from outside of Europe.

And in this case he was born to Italian immigrants in Argentina, but his papacy meant a lot for left.

He knows because Catholicism is very prominent in South America and the Latino community.

What would his papacy mean for for letting So I'm Wednesday morning.

We're going to have a massive haul in a at the just memorial Mass be led by Cardinal Cupich.

It's reminder.

>> That while we're a very diverse community where United and our love of the Lord and were united by God's love for us.

And so this Pena community felt that in a very real and significant way.

That was a way of feeling very included away feeling very unified one of their own.

There's a real sense of of ownership in the best possible term for that.

And it's really about the fact that we come together because God loves us and we come together because we're called to to make real change in the world.

>> You mentioned Cardinal Blase Cupich and the mask that you are having on Wednesday.

He also spoke earlier today about how he remembers Pope Francis here that us.

>> He just tried to be a real person and be in touch with the everyday real life of people.

And that's why I think what Mark M a in a different way helped all of us who shepherds of dyes is to make sure that we really attend to wear people's lives are.

And so he called us all to an authenticity.

someone Sullivan, how do you think he'll be remembered?

>> I think he's going to be remembered as someone who is motivated by a sense of God's love.

I think he's going to be remembered as someone who truly cared for the poor.

I think he's going to be remembered as someone really lived out his teaching and word and example, he's someone who genuinely cared for others and and all of the statements stem from the fact that he is the child of God who is love, Denise, to bring that love into the world.

Michael.

>> Yeah, that he fully inhabited the bridge builder, the pond to fix.

And that means that I really moved but asked him, how is that that he's a part of the spirit.

If you wrote poetry, but he his actions, gestures are the words I've never seen a more kind of poetic kind of I'm going to say safe.

But a poetic.

>> Behavioral the plot that we know.

I think really no, no way to gestures.

Stevenson question, do you have anything to be remembered?

Words like Senate analogy, solidarity, fraternity, mercy.

But I think most of all I thought about this a lot today, he was the pope of joy.

>> One of my favorite.

He had all of these wonderful off the cuff moments when he was preaching at the mass of the daily masses or when he had the airborne press conferences.

And I always think of one of the earliest that the Christian should not walk through the world like a sour We're supposed to look joyful.

We had this is a thing that supposed to bring joy to our lives and other people's lives.

As I think about what we grieve today.

I also think about the joy of his reward and the joy that we're left Remember early on like he pop up in like a selfie someone with a bright smile on his face, which is something that you don't often see a pope doing.

But did?

>> almost out of time celebrate.

But what's worse, the Catholic Church go from here.

What's next?

Well, I think we have to be united in prayer.

We pray for the repose the soul of Pope Francis and we also come together test guide to strengthen our faith in Pope Francis was a wonderful example for us to follow.

And I think that we as we pray for him, we pray for ourselves.

We pay that we may.

lived that faith life with the same sense of enthusiasm, excitement.

>> And energy that Pope Francis is just so well known for to bring his sense of care to our ministry, into our churches, to our world.

And of course, there are some steps next.

Obviously the time to mourn him and then the process of the assembling the conclave to choose the next pope that we might have the 3 of you but for now, we'll have to leave it there.

My thanks to Bishop Lawrence Sullivan, Michael Murphy and Stephen Miller.

Thank you.

>> Thank you, Brent.

Thank you.

And we're back with more right after this.

People with autism, their families and advocates are speaking out after U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F Kennedy Junior promise to find the cause of the quote autism epidemic by September.

New research shows an increase in the number of children diagnosed with autism from one in 36 in the year 2020 up to one in 31 in 2022. here with more.

Our Peter Pansies director of the Center for Autism and Neurodevelopment at Northwestern University and on Zoom, we have Kristen Ross, the chief marketing officer of the Autism Society of America.

Thanks to both for joining us here.

Let's start with you, please.

Why are we seeing or what do you think we're seeing this increase in the number of children diagnosed with autism?

So the consummate ease a fairly complex and we need >> Try separate the different factors.

So one big contributor is.

Better access.

To diagnosis.

Expansion of the diagnostic criteria and more awareness in the society.

So another contributor, areas read the finding that diagnosis from children who undiagnosed having good intellectual disability or other conditions before us on there's still a fraction of that is not explained by this.

So it seems that there's actually a it's hard to plan the numbers, but it's there's a real increse in actual cases.

>> How would you categorize autism and and how how is it diagnosed?

>> So let's start by specialists it's knows by behavioral observation and children have to satisfy 2 main criteria have some form of social.

Deficits, some difficulty with social interactions which could be language could be eye contact could be forms of social behavior.

And another one is repetitive or stereotypical behaviors.

So a different case have different mixtures fees.

That's why it makes it a little bit more complicated.

also.

That a different ways of diagnosing it.

So it could be a simple way in which parents and more complex and more involved way in which special us spend 2 hours with a child and go through a very rigorous testing.

So that introduces a little bit of imprecision writing in.

>> Right, Candy can be subjective based on obviously experiences of practitioners who are doing the diagnosis.

But it's not the kind of thing we can take a blood test tissues and all are exceptionally.

There's no such it does not exist today.

Kristen, what are the Autism Society of America's concerns for what Robert F Kennedy Junior is his approach to investigating this increase in autism?

Diagnoses.

>> Thank you for having me.

So the autism society, along with our peer organizations, the scientific and medical community really acknowledge that there is that added need for more science-based research that helps us better understand autism.

However, it needs to be concluded, in fact, and we need to have experts, advocacy groups, autistic voices and community members at the table to be part of this initiative.

So having some additional concerns that spanned from just act of transparency and awareness on the methodologies and who's going to be involved.

And is this going to follow due process is really essential, too.

Understand the initiative as a whole.

And then we all know that no matter what type of researchers scientific endeavor, it takes time to produce quality pair reviewed outcome.

So that's something that we really stress is how this is being led.

you know, science-based.

This decision making.

>> RFK junior, he spoke last week he referred to autism as a quote, preventable disease.

This is during a speech last week.

>> These kids many of them are fully functional.

And request because of some environmental exposure in taught to them.

There.

2 years old.

And these are kids who will.

Never pay taxes.

never hold a job.

I'm played baseball.

Don't ever write a poem.

I'm never go out on a date.

Many of them never use a toilet unassisted.

>> Peter, you mentioned environmental exposures playing a factor.

We know that there's been lots of talk about the role of vaccines in particular and how that research has been debunked many times.

Do you think environmental country there's an environmental contributor to autism?

Yes, I don't.

I would agree that there >> That genetic contribution is fairly well established.

And we know that there's a 50 to 80 to 90% genetic contribution.

But the difference is environmental.

there's a very complex interaction between genes and environment.

Often jeans set you up for increase, your risk.

But then that is some second hit that's needed to, you know, over and that could be environmental.

It could be another genetic variation or it could be a broad range of factors.

And the environmental factors contributors have been much more difficult to study because with jeans you can.

We know We can measure, then we can, you know, accurately measure them.

But how many, you know, factors are we expose throw life?

How many chemicals?

How many, you know?

Various factors.

So it's much more difficult and maybe that's one reason why they haven't actually being us.

Well studied.

>> Kristen.

Do you think there are consequences to the narrative that the secretary is circulating?

>> I do.

And I a lot of our peer organizations and other disability groups alongside us have spoken out about this.

I think, by not leading with current science-based evidence when speaking definitively or claiming things not only places on Warren to blame on families are parents but also contributes to that stigma and stereotypes people feeling other.

And when you lead with that deficit based narrative by using rhetoric like chronic disease or childhood to disease or epidemic, you are placing blame on that community and generalizing and entire community when there are so many die first experiences and every single person's journey with autism is unique.

So we have to not dehumanize people by perpetuating this type of state.

And ask we all come to the table and acknowledge that we have varied and unique experiences.

And that's OK, and that is why they call it the spectrum the autism spectrum disorder because it is a spectrum of people that exist on it.

>> Lots to talk about here will have to continue this conversation and leave it there.

For now, though, Kristen Ross and Peter Pansies, thank you so much for joining me.

>> Thank you very much.

And that is our show for this Monday night.

Join us tomorrow night at 5, 30 10.

Now for all of us here at Chicago Brandis Friedman, thank you for watching.

Stay healthy and safe and have a good night.

>> Closed captioning is made possible by Robert, a cliff and Clifford law offices, a