Pope Leo XIV joined a Chicago White Sox chant in Vatican City after previously wearing a hat supporting the MLB clubhouse during a speech to the people in early June
20:21 ET, 19 Jun 2025Updated 20:21 ET, 19 Jun 2025
Pope Leo XIV participated in a White Sox chant
The first American Pope in Vatican history proved once again that he hasn’t forgotten his South Side roots and will never stop cheering for his favorite MLB team, no matter the importance of his work.
Pope Leo XIV was born in Chicago and is already gaining a reputation for his unapologetic devotion to the Chicago White Sox. His allegiance was again displayed after a rowdy chant from fans during a public appearance in Vatican City.
As he stood in the back of his signature white Mercedes G-Wagon while waving to the crowd gathered in St. Peter’s Square, a group of fans began to cheer “White Sox! White Sox!” Pope Leo turned, smiled, and mouthed the chant right back at them, and threw his fist in the air with their same rhythm.
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The chants continued to get louder as the Pope’s G-Wagon rolled forward. One fan reacted to the post on social media with the caption, “The holiest of blessings no doubt.” Another joked, “You can take the Pope out of Chicago, but you can’t take Chicago out of the Pope.” The clip earned nearly 400 thousand views in under an hour.
Fans were generally positive toward his actions, agreeing that the moment made him feel more human. One fan wrote, “When they said the pop was American, this is exactly what I envisioned.” Another added, “Finally, a Pope that feels like a REAL human being.” It wasn’t the first time Pope Leo showed his love for the White Sox. He was pictured wearing a Sox cap during his June 18 general audience, just after the team’s disappointing 41-121 season last year, one of the worst in franchise history with a 25 percent win rate.
Leo’s connection to the White Sox started when he grew up on Chicago’s South Side with his brother, John Prevost, who’s still part of the community today. White Sox fans have worn custom jerseys with his name on the back to games and even chanted his name during tailgates at Guaranteed Rate Field.
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Due to rain, the White Sox’s game against the St. Louis Cardinals on the clip was postponed. The teams were rescheduled to face each other for a doubleheader on Thursday.
In the first game, the White Sox lost 5-4, extending their losing streak to seven games. The second game is still in progress. The White Sox tied the game 6-6 in the bottom of the seventh inning following a grand slam from former All-Star and Gold Glove winner Andrew Benintendi.
With a record of 23-51, the White Sox have the second-worst record in the league, trailing only the Colorado Rockies (17-58). Over the past five years, Colorado has had four of its five worst seasons in team history.