Chicago White Sox honored Pope Leo XIV with a jersey and a wall decal ahead of their home stand on Monday.
Back on May 8, Cardinal Robert Prevost was elected as the 267th Pope. He took the name Pope Leo XIV.
Not only was he the first American Pope of the Catholic Church but he hailed from the south side of Chicago.
Once the announcement of the new Pope spread, internet sleuths wanted to learn everything about him including his sports fandoms.
That afternoon CBS News reported he was a Cubs fans and the internet rolled with it and graphics were soon created.
Even the Cubs official social media account joined in.
Suntimes and WGN went to work and soon spoke with people at St. Rita (where he once worked) and his very own brothers.
The news broke that he was in fact as Chicago White Sox fan after all.
He even attended Game 1 of the World Series in 2005.
The digging continued and people watched back Game 1 of the 2005 World Series and found the future pope in a very brief clip showing fans during the final moments of the game.
The White Sox Social Media team had a nice clapback after the team up north tried to claim him as a Cubs fan with a Wrigley Field Marquee sign display.
The first home game after the announcement White Sox defeated the Houston Astros, 6-2. Team photographer Darren Georgia captured an image of the White Sox outfielders returned to the dugouts as celebratory fireworks rang out in the night sky.
Not only were the players visible but a cross firework in the night sky (see image slideshow below) too.
Sox social media team remains undefeated.
Since the announcement, people in pope-like attire have taken over the ballparks especially those with ties to the White Sox or Chicago.
If they are not dressing as one, they have opt for t-shirts which are available anywhere one might looking around the city.
Today, White Sox shared a graphic installation of two different images of Pope Leo XIV. One was the pope from the announcement of his election as well as another of him attending Game 1 in Section 140 at Rate Field.
Also, U.S. Vice President JD Vance and his wife, Usha, went to the Vatican and met with the pope and gift him a personalized Chicago Bears jersey on Monday.
The Vice President stressed how excited they are to have an American pope. No one is more excited than his hometown.
These are just some of many tributes that will likely be down for Chicago’s own in the coming months and years.
If you know Chicago, their people love their city and anything or everything with ties to it.
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