Dec 8, 2024; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers fans wave Terrible Towels against the Cleveland Browns during the fourth quarter at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Steelers' Terrible Towel Makes Pope Leo XIV Announcement

Originally posted on Pittsburgh Steelers on SI
By Nick Horwat | Last updated May 9, 2025 6:00 AM ET

There are fans of the Pittsburgh Steelers all over the world, and they find a way to show up in places you wouldn’t expect. Even as the College of Cardinals were electing a new pope, a Steelers fan was found in Vatican City, hoping to get their Terrible Towel blessed.

According to CBS’s Tony Dokoupil, a true die-hard Steelers fan from Pittsburgh brought her Terrible Towel to the Vatican as Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost was chosen to be the next pope.

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"There are also items that people want blessed," Dokoupil said. "There is even a woman from Pittsburgh who had... the Terrible Towel."

A native of Chicago, Illinois, Prevost has taken the name Pope Leo XIV and is the first North American-born pope in history.

As a 69-year-old Chicago native, it’s possible Leo XIV grew up a fan of the Chicago Bears and saw them win a pre-merger NFL championship in 1963.

Leo XIV earned his bachelor of science degree in mathematics from Villanova University in 1977.

Steelers fans have taken Terrible Towels all over the world, from mountaintops, to coral reefs, and numerous cities and countries across the globe. One finding its way to the Vatican to possibly be blessed by the new pope has to be a new highlight for the iconic symbol of Steelers fandom.

This article first appeared on Pittsburgh Steelers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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