Pope Leo, from Chicago, makes his first US pitch at White Sox Park
CHICAGO, June 14 (Reuters) - Pope Leo, a native of Chicago's south side and a long-time fan of his beloved but beleaguered White Sox, sent a video message on Saturday to a sellout crowd attending Catholic Mass in his honor at their hometown ballpark.
The pontiff, the first leader of the global Catholic Church from the United States, appeared for about seven minutes on Rate Field's jumbotron during the event, organized by the Chicago archdiocese and featuring several other local personalities, including Bulls announcer Chuck Swirsky.
"It's a pleasure for me to greet all of you gathered together at White Sox Park on this great celebration," the pope said in the video message, his first public address to the U.S. since his election on May 8 to replace the late Pope Francis.
The new pope called on Chicagoans to put aside "egotistical ways" in order to spread hope and work to build community in their hometown.
"We have to look for ways of coming together and promoting a message of hope," he said, speaking in English with a slight Chicago accent.
Hours before the event at Rate Field started, people had gathered around the stadium, including kids in White Sox jerseys, hawkers selling "Da Pope" baseball hats, nuns in white and blue habits and priests in their collars.
Saturday's event, led by Chicago Cardinal Blase Cupich, took place as demonstrations were held in cities across the U.S., including at Chicago's Daley Plaza, to protest President Donald Trump's crackdown on undocumented immigrants, and in Washington, D.C., ahead of the president celebrating his 79th birthday with a military parade.
The pope did not mention politics, and instead offered a message of encouragement to young people.
Sister Barbara Reid, president of the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago, where the pope attended seminary in the 1980s, told Reuters she hoped his message could help unite the U.S.
"A celebration that's centered on hope and possibility and unity is needed now more than ever before," she said. "Hopefully this can be a catalyst to bring us together."
Leo, the former Cardinal Robert Prevost, was born in Dolton, on the outskirts of the city's south side, and has spent most of his career as a priest outside the U.S. He is a member of the Augustinian religious order, and spent decades in Peru as a missionary and bishop, before first taking up a senior Vatican role in 2023.
In a nod to Leo's close ties to the South American country, his celebration in Chicago on Saturday began with a performance of Peru's national anthem. The U.S. national anthem followed, performed by Leo High School's choir, which was a contestant on "America's Got Talent."
The pope's family, including a brother who still lives in a Chicago suburb, has spoken about the pontiff's enthusiasm for the White Sox, even as the rival Chicago Cubs also tried to claim him. Leo briefly donned the trademark black-and-white Sox cap offered by a pilgrim during his weekly audience in St. Peter's Square on Wednesday.
On the first day that tickets became available for Saturday's event, more than 10,000 tickets were sold in the first 15 minutes, the White Sox said.
Tickets, which sold for $5 apiece, hit resale sites like StubHub for more than $1,200 just hours after they were released, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.
While Catholic parishes across the city, including the one where the Prevost family attended Mass, have shuttered amid waning church attendance, Chicago's identity is still very much entwined with the Catholic Church. When meeting strangers, Chicagoans sometimes identify their neighborhood by the name of the closest parish.
"A lot of people in Chicago just have great pride that the new pope is from Chicago," said Rev. Tom McCarthy, a popular preacher from the city who is also an Augustinian. "They want to celebrate it together."
The White Sox (39-121) set the modern-day record for most losses in a single season in 2024. This year, the team has the worst record in the American League so far.
Fans pray the Mass gives the team a divine boost.
"We need all the help we can get," said McCarthy, a lifelong Sox fan. "If the field is going to be blessed by this event, hopefully it will go right through to the players."
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