Pope Leo XIV Spotted Wearing a White Sox Hat at the Vatican
This isn't the hat most people expect a pope to wear.
Pope Leo XIV, who is the first American-born pontiff, sported a Chicago White Sox cap while meeting newlywed couples as part of a public appearance at the Vatican on June 11.
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A photo captured the pope with a smile while wearing the hat. The pope, who is from Chicago and was born Robert Prevost, is a White Sox fan. He even attended the first game of the 2005 World Series between the White Sox and Houston Astros, which the White Sox won in four games for their first World Series title in 88 years. Coincidentally, the White Sox played the Astros on June 11, the same day he wore the cap.
Pope Leo XIV wears a Chicago White Sox cap while meeting newly married couples in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican on June 11, 2025. (Filippo Monteforte / AFP via Getty Images)
'I read something about that,' White Sox manager Will Venable said about the pope wearing the team's hat before they played the Houston Astros on Wednesday, according to MLB.com. 'Yeah, I mean, it's great. I love the support. Need it.'
'@Pontifex representing his favorite squad,' the team wrote on X, while sharing the photo.
The White Sox, who last month installed a mural in Leo's honor, have embraced the holy support.
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'He has an open invite to throw out a first pitch,' said Brooks Boyer, executive vice president, chief revenue and marketing officer for the White Sox, according to MLB.com. 'Heck, maybe we'll let him get an at-bat.'
The pope wore the cap on a day the White Sox could've used some divine intervention, as the team dropped a 10-2 decision to the Astros, lowering their record to an American League worst 23-45. They are in last place in the American League Central and have the second worst record in all of Major League Baseball, behind only the Colorado Rockies.
After he was elected pope last month, reports surfaced that Leo was a fan of the other MLB team in the Windy City, the Chicago Cubs, but his brother set the record straight in an interview with NBC Chicago.
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'Whoever said Cubs on the radio got it wrong. It's Sox,' he said.
At least one White Sox player believes having such a high-profile fan can only mean good things for the team and baseball, in general.
'It's pretty cool,' rookie reliever Grant Taylor said, according to MLB.com. 'Worldwide, baseball is growing a lot more. But in Europe, it's not very big. So if he's over there in the Vatican wearing a White Sox hat, maybe all of them will become White Sox fans. Grow the fanbase a little bit.'
This article was originally published on TODAY.com
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