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The pope knows ball. Baseball, that is.
Chicago native Pope Leo XIV remains a devoted White Sox fan, as shown by his sharp comeback to a Cubs fan.
The 2025 White Sox struggled again this season, losing over 100 games and missing the playoffs for the fourth straight year, while the Cubs made the playoffs but were eliminated by the Brewers, a fact that hadn’t escaped the notice of the 70-year-old head of the Roman Catholic Church.
While waving to crowds from the back of his vehicle in St Peter’s Square, Vatican City, cameras caught the now-viral moment Leo waved to spectators as someone yelled, “Go Cubs!”
"Han perdido!" he quickly shouted back in Spanish before translating. "They lost!"
Born Robert Francis Prevost, he became the first American-born pope when elected in May. Raised in the Chicago suburb of Dolton, Illinois, his sports loyalty initially caused some confusion once he had been thrust into the international spotlight. He spent two decades in Peru as a missionary and bishop and is fluent in Spanish among other languages.
While the Cubs claimed him as a fan, his brother, John Prevost, confirmed to WGN TV News that he grew up supporting the White Sox.
“He was never, ever a Cubs fan. So I don’t know where that came from. He was always a Sox fan,” John Prevost told the local news station in May.
The White Sox later honored Leo with a mural near section 140 showing him at Game 1 of the 2005 World Series, alongside a framed jersey reading "Pope Leo" with the number 14.
In June, Guaranteed Rate Field held a Catholic mass service with Leo delivering a message on the video board.
White Sox manager Will Venable previously said he is thrilled to have the pope supporting the team.
"Proud moment for Chicago and awesome to hear," Venable said in May. "Obviously, I got a lot of texts and a lot of buzz about it, but it's cool and it's awesome to see the excitement from the fans. It's awesome."
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