Breadcrumb Trail Links
Pope Leo XIV wears a Chicago White Sox hat as he meets newly wedded couples during the weekly general audience in St Peter’s Square at the Vatican on June 11. Getty Images
Article content
If anyone still had a single doubt about where the Pope’s allegiance lies between Chicago’s two bastions of baseball, that debate was put rest.
Advertisement 2
Article content
White smoke rose from the Sistine Chapel chimney last month to signify a new pope had been elected and now a White Sox hat has confirmed the first American pontiff’s baseball allegiance.
Article content
Article content
Pope Leo XIV, the Chicago-bred pontiff, was seen sporting a Chicago White Sox hat on Wednesday as he greeted people at the Vatican.
Among those he met were a bride and groom who also appeared to be fans of the AL Central ball club.
Robert Francis Prevost became the first-ever American pope in early May, succeeding Pope Francis, who died at the age of 88 after a lengthy battle with double pneumonia.
We apologize, but this video has failed to load.
Play Video
After he was chosen as the new leader of the Catholic church last month, it was initially reported that the Pope Leo was a Cubs fan.
In fact, the team congratulated him in a post on X that had a picture of Wrigley Field’s marquee with the message: “HEY, CHICAGO. HE’S A CUBS FAN!”
Your Midday Sun
Article content
Advertisement 3
Article content
Advertisement 4
Article content
But that news quickly was refuted by the Pope’s own brother, as well as some resurfaced video footage.
“He was never ever a Cubs fan, so I don’t know where that came from,” John Prevost told local Chicago station WGN TV. “He was always a Sox fan. Our mother was a Cubs fan. I don’t know, maybe that clued in there and our dad was a Cardinals fan, so I don’t know where all that came from.
“And all the aunts, our mom’s family was from the north side, so that’s why they were Cubs fans.”
Advertisement 5
Article content
Online sleuths also were able to dig up footage of Pope Leo wearing White Sox gear while attending Game 1 of the 2005 World Series against the Houston Astros.
While Pope Leo does support the Sox, the team could use some divine intervention. Heading into Thursday’s games, Chicago has the second-worst record in the majors at 23-45 and sits 11 games behind the Kansas City Royals for fourth place in the AL Central.
Article content
Share this article in your social network