Pope Leo XIV Shows His Fan Allegiance, Dons Chicago White Sox Hat
If any questions remained about Pope Leo XIV's baseball fandom, he has set the record straight.
The recently elected pope was pictured Wednesday wearing a Chicago White Sox hat at St. Peter's Square in Vatican City. Pope Leo XIV grew up in Dolton, Ill., a south suburb just outside Chicago.
When Robert Prevost became the first American pope on May 8, the Cubs inaccurately claimed him as a fan of Chicago's north side baseball team by displaying a message on the Wrigley Field marquee.
Congratulations to Pope Leo XIV! pic.twitter.com/s02yDDegQd
— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) May 8, 2025
That was quickly dispelled during an appearance on WGN News by Robert's brother, John.
"He was never, ever a Cubs fan," John said in an interview with WGN. "So I don't know where that came from. He was always a Sox fan."
Obviously the biggest question surrounding Chicago native Robert Prevost now that he is Pope Leo XIV: Cubs or White Sox? His brother gave the definitive answer to @WGNNews' @DanaRebikWGN pic.twitter.com/DvMiGZ0qHY
— Josh Frydman (@Josh_Frydman) May 8, 2025
The White Sox recently unveiled a graphic of Pope Leo XIV near section 140 at Rate Field in Chicago. The location was chosen based on where Prevost sat as a fan during Game 1 of the 2005 World Series, when the White Sox defeated the Houston Astros.
According to a White Sox news release, Pope Leo XIV attended the game with the late Ed Schmit, a close family friend and White Sox season ticket holder whom he knew through their work together at St. Rita of Cascia High School on Chicago’s South Side.
White Sox manager Will Venable was glad to hear the pope was on his team's side.
"Proud moment for Chicago and awesome to hear," Venable said. "Obviously I got a lot of texts and a lot of buzz about, but it's cool and it's awesome to see the excitement from the fans. It's awesome."
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Jack Ankony is the beat writer for “Chicago White Sox on SI.” He has been with the Sports Illustrated network since 2022. He graduated from Indiana University's Media School with a degree in journalism in 2022. Follow Jack on Twitter @ankony_jack