Pope Leo XIV showed off his White Sox fandom during his general audience at the Vatican on Wednesday.
The Chicago native was photographed wearing a White Sox hat as he met with newlywed couples in St. Peter’s Square. The White Sox were quick to capitalize on the publicity, sharing the now-viral photo across their social media platforms.
Pope Leo XIV, born as Robert Francis Prevost, was named the first American Pope of the Catholic Church on Thursday, May 8. Born in Chicago’s Mercy Hospital and raised in nearby Dolton, he has undoubtedly become one of Chicago’s most famous natives since his elevation to the papacy. Just hours after his election, Prevost’s brother, John, also settled an important debate about where his baseball fandom lies.
“He was never, ever a Cubs fan. So I don’t know where that came from. He was always a Sox fan,” John Prevost said in an interview with WGN. “Our mother was a Cubs fan. I don’t know, maybe that clued in there, and our dad was a Cardinals fan, so I don’t know where that all came from. And all the aunts in our mom’s family were from the north side, so that’s why they were Cubs fans.”
Thanks to a photo published by the Chicago Sun-Times, fans got their first glimpse of Pope Leo XIV at Game 1 of the 2005 World Series dressed in White Sox gear. Less than a day later, our team at Sox on 35th uncovered a viral video that briefly showed the pontiff on the FOX broadcast before Bobby Jenks secured the 5-3 victory.
Eddie Schmit, the young fan shown next to Pope Leo XIV, was just five years old at the time. In an interview with Sox on 35th, the now 25-year-old recalled his family’s special relationship with the Pope, his memory from the game they all attended together, and the surprise when he rolled back the tape from Game 1.
“I remember a buddy of mine a few years ago found that clip, and he’s like, ‘Dude, you and your dad are on TV at the World Series,’” Eddie recalled. “I’m like, ‘No s–t. I didn’t even know this.’
“So, when all this transpired, I kind of was like, ‘Wow, what if [Pope Leo XIV] is the one standing next to me at the game?’ I didn’t really think about it because I didn’t really know him like that. I was only five years old, and then sure enough, he was standing right next to me and, you know, that seat … we still have those exact same seats. They’re different now than they were in the World Series. I think that they were the blue seats back then. But he was still sitting right there, same section, same row, everything.”
The White Sox have since leaned into their unexpected connection with one of the most influential people in the world, celebrating with a pillar artwork at Rate Field outside of the section where the Pope Leo XIV sat.
“He has an open invite to throw out a first pitch,” White Sox executive vice president Brooks Boyer playfully told the media at the installation’s unveiling. “Heck, maybe we’ll let him get an at-bat.”
The White Sox will continue to celebrate Pope Leo XIV, with a Mass in his honor this Saturday, June 14. The team will be out of town that day, taking on the Texas Rangers in Arlington, though Rate Field is expected to be near capacity. The Pope will not be present for the event, but “he will be participating remotely from Rome with a video message to be played at the gathering,” according to Vatican News.
We will continue to monitor the situation for further developments.
Follow us on social media @SoxOn35th for more White Sox news and updates!
Featured Photo: Filippo MONTEFORTE / AFP
