White Sox Fan Pope Leo XIV Trolls Chicago Cubs After Playoff Loss

Originally posted on Chicago White Sox on SI
By Jack Ankony | Last updated Oct 15, 2025 1:16 PM ET

The 2025 White Sox season ended a few weeks ago, losing 100-plus games for a third straight year and missing the playoffs for the fourth consecutive time.

But for many White Sox fans –– including Pope Leo XIV, apparently –– it wasn't time to entirely move on from baseball season just yet. They kept tabs on the crosstown rival Chicago Cubs, who earned the No. 4 seed with a 92-70 record. But after defeating the San Diego Padres in the Wild Card round, the Cubs lost to the Milwaukee Brewers in the National League Division Series, and White Sox fans let them hear it.

A video from Vatican Media caught someone yell, "Go Cubs!" to Pope Leo XIV as he waved to the crowd while standing in the back of a vehicle. And in perfect White Sox fan fashion, the pope responded, "Han perdido, they lost!"

Pope Leo XIV:
- Head of the Catholic Church
- No. 1 Cubs troll

( Vatican Media) pic.twitter.com/UVGv9S5ePV
— White Sox on CHSN (@CHSN_WhiteSox) October 15, 2025

Pope Leo XIV shows White Sox fandom

This is one of the best examples yet, but it's not the first time Pope Leo XIV has displayed his allegiance to the White Sox.

Born Robert Francis Prevost, he was elected on May 8 as the first American-born pope in history. Having grown up in the south Chicago suburb of Dolton, Ill., many area natives initially wondered about his sports fandom.

The Cubs were quick to claim the pope, lighting up the marquee outside of Wrigley Field with, "Hey Chicago, he's a Cubs fan!" But that was quickly proved false, as his brother, John, said in aninterview with WGN, that Robert grew up a White Sox fan.

The White Sox later installed a mural near section 140, featuring a picture of Prevost attending Game 1 of the 2005 World Series. Near the mural sits a framed White Sox jersey with "Pope Leo" on the nameplate and the number 14.

Rate Field also hosted a Catholic mass on Saturday, and Pope Leo provided a message on the video board. Players are often seen in the White Sox clubhouse wearing shirts with the pope's face, and variations of the shirt are frequently sold outside the stadium.

Pope Leo was even seen wearing a White Sox hat at the Vatican, and in a separate instance, chanting, "White Sox," with fans.

Getting a White Sox chant going with the pope has to be an incredible feeling pic.twitter.com/BhNG0bsiAn
— Kenny Ducey (@KennyDucey) June 18, 2025

White Sox manager Will Venable is glad to have the pope on his team's side.

"Proud moment for Chicago and awesome to hear," Venable said in May. "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."

This article first appeared on Chicago White Sox on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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