Pope Leo XIV, the leader of the Roman Catholic Church, has confirmed his loyalty to the Chicago White Sox. The Illinois native was spotted wearing a black Sox cap at his weekly general audience at the Vatican on Wednesday.
The photo of Pope Leo XIV in his favorite team’s hat quickly went viral after being shared by the Chicago White Sox on Instagram. One caption accompanying the post read, "Pope Leo XIV representing his favorite squad."
Reactions from the White Sox
White Sox manager Will Venable expressed gratitude for Pope Leo XIV’s support, stating:
"It’s great. I love [the] support. Need [it]."
The last-place team could certainly use all the encouragement it can get.
Clarifying Allegiances
This confirmation comes amid a debate in Chicagoland about Pope Leo XIV’s baseball allegiances. Cardinal Robert Prevost, a Dolton, Ill., native and now leader of the Roman Catholic Church, was initially reported to be a fan of their cross-town rivals. However, this turned out to be false.
As reporters learned more about Cardinal Prevost’s suburban American background, it became clear that he actually grew up as a South Sider and attended Game 1 of the World Series in person, where he was caught on a Fox broadcast at the time.
Additional Comments
Cardinals’ president John Mozeliak commented on the news earlier this month, stating:
"He came from humble beginnings."
This statement was reported by St. Louis Post-Dispatch reporter Ben Frederickson, who first broke the story about the Cardinals’ new president being a former pope before the news of his hiring was announced.
White Sox manager Will Venable also commented on Pope Leo XIV wearing a Chicago White Sox hat, saying:
“I read something about that,” he told reporters before Tuesday night’s game against Houston.
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