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Pope Leo XIV Grew Up Near Chicago: Does He Call Himself a Cubs or a White Sox Fan?

John Prevost – the brother of Robert Prevost, who was elected pope on Thursday – said in an interview with WGN that Robert is a fan of the Chicago White Sox, not the Cubs.
Jack Ankony|
The White Sox are proud to have Pope Leo XIV as part of the fan base.
The White Sox are proud to have Pope Leo XIV as part of the fan base. | Photo by Jack Ankony, White Sox On SI

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Chicago White Sox

It's typically not the first question asked when a pope is elected, but many people wondered the same thing Thursday when the announcement came at the Vatican that a Chicago-area native had become the pope.

Is the pope a Chicago Cubs fan or a White Sox fan?

Robert Prevost became the first United States-born pope in history on Thursday, and he was raised in Dolton, Ill.. a south suburb of Chicago west of the Indiana border. He took the name Leo XIV.

The pope's brother, John Prevost, set the record straight.

"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."

John said their mother was a Cubs fan and their dad was a St. Louis Cardinals fan, so he doesn't know where Robert's White Sox fandom came from.

White Sox manager Will Venable was excited to hear the news.

"Proud moment for Chicago and awesome to hear," Venable said before Friday's game. "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."

There was some initial confusion regarding the pope's favorite baseball team, as ABC reported earlier in the day that he was a Cubs fan.

The Cubs were quick to run with that report, displaying the message on the marquee outside Wrigley Field.

"I mean, I get it. I think we all want the pope on our side," Venable said. "So I certainly understand, but yeah, I'm glad he chose the right team."

After the pope's brother came out and said Leo XIV grew up a White Sox fan, the south side team responded with a jab at their crosstown rival.

Asked if there could be some divine intervention to help the 10-28 White Sox, Venable is all for it.

"We'll take it," Venable said. "Yeah, it's great to have him on our side for sure."

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Jack Ankony
JACK ANKONY

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

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