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Chicago White Sox React to Pope Leo XIV Wearing Team Hat

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Angelo Guinhawa | Last updated Jun 12, 2025 7:57 AM ET

The Chicago White Sox have one of the most popular fans in the world in Pope Leo XIV. The new leader of the Catholic church made his sports fandom abundantly clear with his recent move.

When the then Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost was elected the new pope at the 2025 papal conclave on May 8 — following the passing of Pope Francis on April 21 — Pope Leo quickly went viral as the whole world took a look at his past.

In fact, a video of Pope Leo attending the 2005 World Series resurfaced after he became pope. The clip showed a younger Pope Leo seemingly wearing a White Sox jersey while cheering for the team.

The White Sox, for their part, have shown love for Pope Leo as well. Not only did they put together a mural honoring the first American pope at Rate Field, but they also sent out an open invitation for him to watch a game and throw out a first pitch any time he wants.

On Wednesday, Pope Leo showed his love for the Chicago franchise once again when he wore a White Sox hat while making a public appearance at the Vatican. The team saw the photo and quickly shared it on social media

". @Pontifex representing his favorite squad," the White Sox wrote, along with a fire emoji.

.@Pontifex representing his favorite squad pic.twitter.com/lyJG42S529
— Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) June 11, 2025

Sure enough, the photo quickly went viral, with fans showing how much they love it. The White Sox themselves even responded to a follower, saying, "we still can't believe it."

"white sox are officially #blessed," StubHub wrote. A fan page added, "can’t believe this isn’t AI."

"This is great!" a supporter shared.

A commenter remarked, "Beyond cool tbh."

While it remains to be seen when Pope Leo will come to the U.S. and watch the White Sox again, it's clear he remains a loyal supporter of the team — even amid its struggles.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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