The pope, who is the first American pontiff, is a famous White Sox fan.

WASHINGTON — Pope Leo XIV poked fun at the Chicago Cubs during an appearance at the Vatican on Wednesday. 

The Pope, who is the first American pontiff to lead the Vatican, was parading across the Vatican and waving at the crowds from his Papal vehicle. In a moment caught on the Vatican Media stream, someone in the crowd yells, “Go Cubs!” and grabs the pope’s attention. 

“Han perdido,” Leo quipped back at the person in Spanish. “They lost!”

The pope is a Chicago native and quite possibly the most famous White Sox fan. The playful jab comes after the Cubs were eliminated from the playoffs.

That’s our Pope 🗣️

(🎥: Vatican Media)
pic.twitter.com/w3fUWXw8DL

— Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) October 15, 2025

The Chicago Cubs lost to the Milwaukee Brewers, putting an end to their season in the National League Division Series. 

The Cubs went 92-70 — their first season with 90-plus wins since 2018 — and reached the playoffs for the first time since 2020. They won three elimination games at home this postseason before their season finally ended in Milwaukee.

Leo, formerly Robert Prevost, was elected by the College of Cardinals in May after succeeding Pope Francis. As soon as the world got wind of his Chicago roots, questions about his baseball team loyalties quickly arose. 

Though the Cubs initially claimed him on social media, his brother quickly dispelled that information.

“He was never, ever a Cubs fan, I don’t know where that came from,” John Prevost told WGN. “He was always a Sox fan.” 

They grew up in a baseball house divided, he added, where their mother was a Cubs fan and father was a fan of the St. Louis Cardinals — another dash of irony. 

Following his election, a video surfaced of Pope Leo attending the 2005 World Series, where the White Sox faced the Houston Astros. 

In June, Leo stepped out in the Vatican with his white attire and a White Sox hat.

Pope Leo XIV is wearing a White Sox hat at the Vatican pic.twitter.com/otKQk2lHfJ

— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) June 11, 2025