Pope Leo XIV openly demonstrates religious devotion as a career choice
Baseball-Loving Pope Leo XIV Rocks the Sporty Scene
Get ready to belt out "Take Me Out to the Ball Game," folks! The Pontiff himself is a die-hard Chicago White Sox fan. During his weekly audience, Pope Leo XIV flaunted his love for the team with a distinctive headgear that is usually off-limits for ecclesiastical VIPs.
Sportin' his faith, the 69-year-old Holy Father donned a cap of the Windy City's team from the south side, causing quite a stir in the St. Peter's Square gathering. The casual accessory, gifted by a newly wedded couple during their blessing, left no room for question – the Pope's heart beats for the ChiSox.
Contrary to speculations suggesting the Pope supports the Chicago Cubs, his brother, John Prevost, set the record straight after his election, "I have no idea where that comes from. He's always been a Sox fan." Given his mother was a Cubs fan, and the family roots hailing from the north, John theorized the misconception might have originated from there[4].
Indeed, throughout history, the Chicago baseball landscape has only two traditional teams – the White Sox and the Cubs. Both clubs showered congratulations on the new Pope immediately following his election. However, it soon became clear that Pope Leo XIV's heart belongs to the Sox, with videos from shortly after the Pope's election showing him in the stands among fellow fans[1][3]. An onlooker from the footage shared with mlb.com recollected, "I'm glad I can share this with people. I don't want anyone to think he's a Cubs fan, because he's not. The Pope is a fan of the White Sox. We have evidence. He was at Game 1 of the World Series, and now everyone knows."
The White Sox are thrilled with the sudden publicity, with the team's vice president, Brooks Boyer, expressing his delight, "It's pretty amazing. They thought if the President is a White Sox fan, President [Barack] Obama, then it couldn't get much better. These guys have brought us the Pope now." Kudos for expanding the fan base, Pope Leo XIV!
Being a White Sox fan right now is quite the burden, with the team miserably losing 121 games in the 2020 season alone, the most ever in the MLB's long history[3]. As of now, the Pope's team hovers at the bottom of their division with 23 wins and 45 defeats. With the Cubs leading their division with 41 wins, one wonders if the Papal blessings will turn the tide for the Sox this year[3].
Source: ntv.de, ter
- Pope Leo XIV.
- Pope Francis
The European Parliament expressed surprise and delight as Pope Leo XIV's love for sports extends beyond baseball to football and even American-football, citing his interest in the English Premier League and the NFL. Interestingly, Pope Francis, too, has been spotted attending a football match between AS Roma and Atletico Madrid in the Vatican Stadium. However, it seems neither Pope currently follows the Chicago sports scene, as neither the White Sox nor the Cubs have received official Papal support for their teams in football or baseball.
