Pope Leo XIV: Chicago native sparks debate on whether he believes Michael Jordan is the GOAT
Image via Vatican Pool, Mitchell Layton/ Getty Images
On Thursday, May 8, when Cardinal Robert Prevost stepped onto the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica and introduced himself as
Pope Leo XIV
, the world witnessed a historic first—the election of a U.S.-born pope. But it didn't take long for fans of a different kind of devotion to take notice. As word of the Chicago-native pope spread, so did chatter about another Windy City legend:
Michael Jordan
.
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The coincidence sparked playful debates online, blending the sacred and the sporty in ways no one expected.
Is the new Pope team Michael Jordan? The viral debate that ties faith to basketball
Elected as the 267th pope on May 8 in
Vatican City
,
Pope Leo XIV
is not only the first American to lead the
Catholic Church
but also a proud Chicago native. Greeting the crowd at St. Peter's Basilica that evening, the 69-year-old offered blessings of peace, while back home,
Chicago sports
fans began connecting the newest pope to the city's most iconic athlete.
Former NFL quarterback
Robert Griffin III
added fuel to the fun with a viral post on X: 'The new Pope is from Chicago. He definitely believes Michael Jordan is the GOAT.' The post resonated widely, injecting the age-old Michael Jordan vs.
LeBron James
debate with a holy twist.
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The pope spent much of the 1980s living and working in Chicago, just as
Michael Jordan
began his meteoric rise with the
Chicago Bulls
. Although Pope Leo XIV relocated to Peru during the 1990s, as Jordan led the team through two historic three-peats, he remained closely tied to the city that raised both a basketball legend and a pope.
The Windy City connection took an amusing turn the next day when a post went viral claiming that a
stained-glass window
had been added to St. Peter's Basilica—one depicting Michael Jordan mid-dunk. Though entirely fake, the image spread like wildfire, with many fans simply amused by the idea, given the Pope's strong Chicago roots.
Naturally, there is no such window. Vatican decor remains devoted to sacred tradition, not slam dunks. Still, the hoax captured the joy and whimsy sparked by the election of a pope with such a familiar and relatable origin story.
Also Read:
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Pope Leo XIV's ascent marks a new chapter for the Catholic Church, but for Chicago natives and basketball fans, it's also a nostalgic nod to the golden era of the Bulls. Whether or not he ever shares his thoughts on the Bulls, Michael Jordan, or the infamous MJ vs. LeBron debate, the new pope has already left a cultural imprint, one that bridges faith and fandom. In the city that gave the world both Michael Jordan and now a pope, greatness clearly takes many forms.
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