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

I'm Brandis Friedman.

Here's what we're looking at.

>> most The Roman Catholic Church has a new pope and he's from Chicago.

>> I thought still think eye doing by hand.

>> And just hours after former Governor George Ryan's funeral, we talk with 2 former inmates that Ryan took off of death row.

>> First off tonight after just 2 days of the conclave, the Roman Catholic Church has a new leader and he's from Chicago in a surprise announcement, a group of 133 Cardinals elected Chicago born missionary Robert Pre Boost to be the first American pope in the church's 2000 year history.

The 69 year-old member of the August any and religious quarter will be known as Pope Leo, the 14th.

>> Here's a bit of his first speech to the crowd in Saint Peter's Square earlier today.

>> The deal, the Omma Duke on loves every way and Miley known put him out evil will be the nail in mind.

are all in the hands of God.

The time poll, sensible So without fear, only the United I know can deal and and had the with gotten among of on go forward.

>> Joining us now with their reactions are father Paddy Gallagher, assistant professor of sociology at Loyola University, Chicago, Paula McQuade, a professor of English and Catholic studies at DePaul University.

Heidi slump, a journalist with the National Catholic Reporter and Scott Alexander, the director of the Interest School Doctor of Ministry program at Catholic Theological Union.

Welcome all of you.

Welcome back into some of you were just here So thank you for the quick turnaround.

Thanks for having Thank you.

So, Paula, what was your reaction to seeing Robert previous election as pope?

>> was And then in short order, I was very happy.

I think the Cardinals have done and I'm cautiously optimistic for the president I must acquit.

All right.

Quite frankly, stunned that he was from Chicago and American.

No, I don't think anyone expected that.

>> We talk about the single cards.

Nobody had card to going into the conclave, though, the chances of an American, as you said, of an American being selected, seem slim.

Why is that?

Why was that?

What I have heard?

some some version of you can't have it.

All right.

You could the superpower.

You can be an economic superpower.

Political some about and the pope.

Right.

And those serve that calculus.

But it's not true.

And that and I also just think we are living may be in earlier world where there's a lot of pressure just as Americans sort of.

>> Power.

And I think that that I think the Cardinals saw the way beyond that really.

Made a really compelling interesting choice.

>> Anyone else want weigh in on that.

White American couldn't have been pope until they're well.

I was going to say he was on our bingo card.

So he was on the list of frontrunners at the National Catholic Reporter.

But I think one of the reasons he may be made it is because he's described as the least American of the American cardinals.

So even though he was born and raised here in the Chicago area, he spent most of his adult life and ministry in South America and in Italy.

So he's more of a global citizen for a global church.

It tells a little bit more about that and about his his experience and his work with the church over the years.

Yeah.

So he grew up here in Chicago and went to Catholic school in the parish here, but he eventually joined the August Indian religious order and went as a missionary to Peru and was doing ministry down there.

He came back to Chicago a couple times in the late 80's and early 90's to you know, do some stuff for his religious order and then back to Peru and then eventually to the Curia where he held several off, says most recently, the very prominent ad at office for cast or your Office for the Bishops, a father killed or what do you think of the history that has been made with the selection of the first American pope?

>> You know, I I don't know what to what I make of it.

I still fit.

My heart is not settled down yet from being able to to receive the gift of his word.

So I all I can really say is that where my attention goes, want to have a moment of quiet when I'm not reading the news or watching something else from him where it's really going these days is to back to his words that he spoke from the balcony.

And I'm just picking up like hints of the tone of his voice, the way his face looked that the first words out of his mouth were peace.

Be with with all of you.

And that was emphasized a number of times during what he said.

But he also mentioned a number of other things that I think are really important dialogue, bridge building, walking with attention to the margins.

He was very clearly picking up many of the themes from Francis papacy and saying these are still things that the Roman Catholic Church is going to hold at the center of its own attention, its own heart.

The last thing I'll say there is that he was doing that clearly with Pope Francis.

You mentioned Francis by name mentioned Senate by name.

But he also brought in.

I think key themes from the previous 4 pope's as well that are really subtle, but also deeply rooted grounded.

synthesizing.

I think some of the gifts that our previous popes have.

Yeah, definitely want to go ahead.

sorry.

I just want to get in a quick the other person who could it really interesting was August and it is not just any >> And he called her stand saying I'm with you as a Christian, but I will serve you as a bishop and obviously was very famously a very luck to Bishop took cried during ordination bishop because he didn't want to do it so badly.

So by he's basically saying I'm doing this as an act of service.

This is not sort of might And I see myself as a servant.

And if I could just say, I I think that the fact that he's American.

Might be a counterpoint in the sense that.

I think he's going to prove it being an American is not essential to being pope.

The nationalities not essential to being pope.

>> It might be a way of so destroying the notion that national identity matters first.

When you're part of the universal Church.

>> He it and we talked about, you know, being a Chicago Mayor, Brandon Johnson, he tweeted in response to the news, quote, Everything Dope, including comes from Chicago.

We know that he is borrowing from another favorite Chicago and talking story.

And Sherman Dylan Thomas Scott, what does this mean for the local Chicago Catholic community?

>> Well, I'm sure the local community is is thrilled, but I'm absolutely certain that we're thrilled.

The Catholic Theological Union because the Pope Leo is an alumnus of our institution.

And so today, the entire school was just rejoicing over the fact that we have a man as leader of the Universal Church who scenes truly up to the job and qualified, but that who someone who's deeply connected to our community here, and it just makes us feel even more connected to the universal Church.

>> Heidi, Pope Leo is, as we've discussed an American, but he also speaks.

He addressed the crowd in Italian and Spanish.

We know that he speaks several other languages.

He spent, as you mentioned, many years working in Peru and Rome tell us about.

And we kind of you kind of mentioned it.

Scott, what influence do you think this international background will I think it was key to him being elected.

So especially when we saw the news coming on the 4th vote, I was surprised it was American, but I was also surprised it was a little earlier than I had expected.

>> And I think that shows that the cardinal electors came together and agreed on him as a candidate rather quickly.

So I think he was seen in some ways as not too extreme in either side, someone who would continue some of the things that Francis started.

But he's not Francis.

The second he's going to be his own man and do things may be in in his own way.

>> Let's talk a little bit about, you know, his relationship with Francis Scott.

What do we know about that relationship?

what we know is that 2014, Pope Francis sent him explicitly back to Peru to be missionary and he was appointed bishop there.

I do want to suggest Pope Francis was grooming him for the papacy.

I don't think Pope Francis fought in those terms, but I do think Pope Francis connection to all the people at the margins and solidarity with the It was central to his understanding of of what a pastor is about and indeed what the mission of the church is about.

And so I think that experience in Peru and then coming back to room being placed in the position of the cast Bishops, which means the place, a very important role in selecting new bishops around the world.

And as you probably know, this conclave, you know, had you know, the 71 nations around the world represented, right, which I think is more 20 or 25 more than the previous conclave, right?

So I think in a sense, the message here is that Prevost is a missionary, right?

And that he's a man of the world not simply an American and maybe what show the world is how Americans can be servants of the world and servants of the oppressed and marginalized rather perhaps how we're perceived as dominating the world mean, you're Preston, Marshall.

>> Father, Gilder, you all talked about front runners yesterday.

Pope Leo was not on that what do you think led to his selection?

>> I think that will discuss here really is close to the heart of the matter.

So one of the things that you mentioned, Heidi, that I think is right on point is I would have said out of guaranteed very little about what was going to happen in this conclave.

Except if you want press me, I really would have guaranteed.

We were not going to have a pup by Thursday like we're going to need more time and the time.

But because there are so many new people who were there, yes, they knew each other at the Senate.

But there's so many people who needed to get to know one another and talk about what the church really need.

It.

I thought, okay, no way I rest easy for the for Thursday.

At least before we have to do some more things on Friday.

But quick arrival really shows that this man was offering something in his own personality and his relationship with these other cardinals in the way he was able to navigate some of the needs of the church Houston.

So many important positions.

It must have said to the other cardinals, this is a man that we can trust to will carry forward.

The things from Francis that we really admire and want to see carried forward but will do so in his own in his own style in his own voice in his own way.

And I have to say, I think the church is really eager to see how he's going to do that.

The gift he's going to give the way he's going to continue to breathe life into this living entity.

That is the Roman Catholic Church picking up a father's point to I think the fact that, you know, the pope was.

Selected to be in this position.

>> You know.

Having been a man who was connected in a relationship, all these various countries and selecting bishops that may be he was sort of a common reference point for the cardinal electors that maybe more people knew him and trusted him.

The others also think that took place of Leo is a reading of titles.

He wanted carry him.

I was going ask about And what does that say to you that he chose the name Leo?

>> Well, it just I believe he chose to be Leo, the 14th, because Leon, the 13th is best known 4 in cyclical and tell Navarro a revolutionary change in the Civil was really about workers throughout the world and how you know, employers and capitalists, etc, have responsibility to the people who actually invest their labor for the prosperity of, you know, companies, corporations, countries, etc.

And so I think he could have been France's the second, maybe that's a little too close to knowing he can Francis so much.

I'm not going to pretend to be friends just a second.

>> But being devoted Catholic social teaching, right and to solidarity with the poor.

I'm going to remind people of the role of Leia.

13th become ill.

The 40 mile comes to his red temp for mentally different.

Francis, right.

I mean, he's much more of.

He doesn't.

He speaks carefully.

He's cap on the spot.

He's from moderate is not very emotional.

>> So I think that may be another reason.

I think you're right.

He's actually trying to.

>> Paula, you also mentioned he is custody and you and we know that he was a part of that order.

Tell us about that order.

What does that indicate about his experience and how he might lead?

Well, I mean, Augustine was a great 4th century.

Bishop.

>> He's also great theologian whose great the legend of the well.

And so not a mistake.

I mean, it is more thats a more intellectual order, but it's also I don't think it's much of a mystical order as say of they can.

They go from like that's what is that, you know, say that I'm a light.

So it's a it's an order of work.

And in order of great as well.

>> I think it's worth noting that he was from a religious order.

So Francis, to was a gesture us as we all know Francis appointed many bishops who were from religious orders as opposed to being people bring those to diocesan priest Hood.

So very there's more of a sense of community, more of a focus on there care mission.

I think you see a different kind of leadership from religious order, bishops and priests.

Okay.

So this feels really important.

The White Sox have claimed him as Have the cups my joke around the office is that the Cubs are going to win because now they've got a mainline, big guy.

you think either team might have a better season next year if they've got the pope in the pocket?

>> The White Sox are going to need a lot lying.

If I was him, I would just pick the horse.

but really I'm sure you all saw as well.

Jay Wright from Villanova.

Many other people from the Big East Conference are like, hey, this is our guy.

We now have not a little Inova have 2 national titles in the last 15 years.

They also have all right.

We'll have to leave it there.

My thanks to father Paddy Gallagher, Paula McQuade and Heidi's Love and Scott Alexander, thanks to 40 for joining Thank you.

>> Up next to men who were on Illinois's death row.

Talk about former Governor George Ryan.

>> Chicago tonight is made possible in part why the Alexandra and John Nichols family.

The Pope Brothers Foundation.

And the support of these donors.

>> Funeral services were held this afternoon for former Illinois Governor George Ryan who died last week at 91 years old.

The single term Republican leaves behind a complicated history.

He spent 5 years in federal prison after being convicted of fraud and bribery charges among other actions during his term as secretary of state.

However, while in the governor's mansion, Ryan commuted the death sentences of 167 men on the state's death row in 2003.

The move eventually led to a moratorium and abolition of the death penalty in Illinois.

Joining us now are 2 of those former inmates who Ryan removed from death row Renaldo Hudson, who spent 37 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections and is now the director of education at Illinois Prison Project.

And Stanley Howard who served 39 years in prison and was later exonerated of murder charges.

He is co-founder of the Death Row 10 and coauthor of the book tortured by Blue Chicago Police torture story.

Gentlemen, thank you for joining us.

We're glad you're here.

Thank you.

Thank Rinaldo.

Let's start with you, please.

You said that you had mixed feelings when you're death.

Sentence was commuted under then Governor Ryan, why was that?

>> Well, is because I was able to see on death row.

You had immediate access to lawyers.

And once you went to the general population, those.

Those conditions that are just eliminated.

You become a number and a crowd of people that has been just dismissed.

And sorry for you, whereas with the death penalty, you have automatic appeals.

And so that was one of the things then also just thinking about how hard it is to think about never having hope.

Of ever being released.

That just was hard to just process.

And so many people continue to face that because you was commuted from death life basically.

So now you have no hope of release because year sentence to spend life the rest of the >> And that was like a struggle for me.

Someone who had acknowledge my And so that's the other thing.

One of the things that I can appreciate about the governor is that he wasn't just dealing with innocence issue.

He was done with a broken system that was even unjust to those of us cause harm.

And so it's really complicated.

But it's important to discuss.

Stanley, you said that you had a sense of relief when you were exonerated, but you still continue to serve.

>> A separate conviction.

39 years total.

Was that like for you?

And to be clear, that conviction was for a armed robbery to Chicago police officers.

Yes, I has been 39 years of incarceration.

It's been 20 years of more up incarceration at a House party not going to wind.

>> I end up with Harden with other individual and passionately on his mask.

I should win home that particular day.

Also.

But a ton 20 years in prison, it was horrible.

I'm the governor I took the action that you took because you not only save my life, but he also say that a lot of lives that was also really Jeopardy.

Thank Our call league Lynch today.

>> do still have a claim of innocence on that other crimes?

appealing that case right now West who have won the time.

But he says quick cops, Klain, I gave them a lot case appeal right now.

although we often often talk about death row in the abstract, most of us have no clue what it's like.

What can you tell us about what death row was like?

>> Yeah, you know, thank Dennis.

The really important question and it's like imagine.

Someone taking a revolver.

The college Russian way.

And every day you wake up wondering will that are good people.

You know, during my stay on death row, 12 people went to the execution.

And they would walk.

Those men pass us.

And it was so hard because what do you say to someone?

It's one thing to, you know, a broken drug out act and you do some harm.

It's something to see something so clinical.

So clean, so mechanical.

But does the ultimate harm?

And so emotionally?

It was just hard to say.

How do you say goodbye to someone walking by saying I'm about to die.

And so I always to day, I can still hear some of those and it's been a lot of use and is still say all of that with the knowledge that that will be you one day or that the application is you was for me because the thing that I always tell people is.

>> With sobered me wasn't the sentence of death.

With so many be is when I woke up to my home and I was like, man, I now know.

The depth of what it feel like to be guilty.

And for a system to say their punishment of me is to do what they told me it so bad to do.

And so I was like.

Do need that.

I don't.

fact, I can't enough to start to change my life in a way.

Dana OK, if I'm going to die, then I'm going to make sure I least learned what forgiveness felt like.

And what it look like versus simply, I'm just going to be exterminated.

I wanted to have some value.

I wanted someone to care and that I was being eliminated and so many people don't get that.

Stanley, you said that you form relationships with other men on death row.

What were those like and what wasn't necessary?

>> They friendly to me.

first got I was I was a kid.

>> 23 years.

All.

And to be.

Put inside of a sale.

23 24 hours a day.

16 years.

I think that not only was act, which Chicago police.

I was also talked about state Illinois because of the isolation solitary confinement at indoor, I was mentally tortured.

So I the but this guy was there that was somewhat able to grab me and what we do this me what I needed to go all-in head family is you are related to.

We built a family.

Hope strong.

Been there like my brother would not go and I have many others, at least eye, but not a license.

And when found it was on that, which is to buy, was also it really hit home >> know that you've been out of prison since 2020, which is when Governor Pritzker granted your clemency application.

Did you ever get to form a relationship with Governor Ryan?

>> I I handle it.

And this may sound really where I have to it is.

I had this kind of mix kind of feelings about governor.

I and I'll be honest with you today.

It's like it landed Whitney, the wait of the decision that he made.

If that makes sense, when I was in the midst of my own stuff like you can have whats called tunnel vision and so I have to admit that I was wobbling in area.

And when I there and listened to his heart being shared to the people, that was the closest to I really melted.

You know, the yesterday began to melt because I'm like, wow, like imagine having that responsibility.

To carry that out.

The ultimate act legally and saying, man, I don't want to be this person.

And I was like, man, I don't want to be the person that caused the So imagine being the person to say I'm going to.

You know, execute you.

And when I heard his family shared heart, it is noted me.

You know, I don't know if that's personal, it just really felt appropriate to be there to honor someone did save to Stanley's point who saved so many people's lives.

As we mentioned, he had his own complicated history and ended up spending time in prison.

Federal prison himself for fraud, racketeering charges.

>> Stanley, how do you think that will factor into his legacy?

People talk about that all the time.

But if you look at the facts what was going on with the criminal justice system, which is still going on now today and his wife.

But to go there live in commission.

>> They discovered that the system was corrupt, unjust, emotional also and big we fall.

formed legislated to do is simply the fuel even implement that today come forth with recommendations.

I hear people talk about what happened with family, feel for But governor, I had nothing to do with it.

And WeGo Prosecuting.

Politicians for horse trading.

In my opinion, my we dig up to a question all the rest of because all about this.

Yeah.

And well, I wish I would head a billion Illinois.

Certainly make me do it when certainly has a history of the and we know this and hopefully we've got some good ones who are at work we will covering more corruption in Illinois, but that is where we'll have to leave He's 76 years incarcerated between the 2 of you and you're doing different work today when all the Hudson and Stanley Howard, that's where we'll have to leave.

But thanks to both letter he wrote Thank you >> And that is our show for this Thursday night.

You can stream Chicago tonight on our W T Tw YouTube channel every evening and catch up on any programs you may have missed and join us tomorrow night at 5.37, for the week in review.

Now for all of us here at Chicago tonight, I'm Brandis Friedman, thank you for watching.

Stay healthy and safe and have a good night.

>> Closed caption was made possible.

Why Robert, a cliff and Clifford law offices, a Chicago personal injury and wrongful death that serves the needs of clients in the