Pope Leo XIV wears White Sox hat at Vatican in viral moment
Pope Leo XIV publicly displayed his South Side baseball loyalty on Wednesday by wearing a Chicago White Sox cap during a general audience in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican.
Captured on June 11, 2025, the pontiff greeted newlywed couples while proudly sporting the team’s black and white cap.
Speculation over his baseball fandom had circulated since his election, but his brother John Prevost settled the debate early on: “Whoever said Cubs on the radio got it wrong. It’s Sox.”
The White Sox organization quickly embraced the pope’s display of fandom, tweeting:
.@Pontifex representing his favorite squad 🔥 pic.twitter.com/lyJG42S529
— Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) June 11, 2025
The team also unveiled a mural at Guaranteed Rate Field depicting the pope at Game 2 of the 2005 World Series—an image fans claimed to have spotted in archived footage.
The Archdiocese of Chicago will host a public celebration of Pope Leo XIV this Saturday at Rate Field, with limited tickets available online.
The moment sparked a viral response across social media, with fans sharing memes, commentary, and praise for the pontiff’s South Side pride.
Pope Leo XIV wearing a Sox hat during his weekly general audience at the Vatican
— Sox On 35th (@SoxOn35th) June 11, 2025
(h/t @CatholicCassie) pic.twitter.com/2VQeAPQ22C
Only a White Sox fan could understand the suffering of Jesus https://t.co/2X239TpYRD
— B(urger W)itch (@em_Seq) June 11, 2025
This is so surreal. An American pope who loves his baseball https://t.co/HPGS5JHjG1
— Jake Hatch (Yawk) Utah Mammoth Aficionado (@JacobCHatch) June 11, 2025
The White Sox now have God on their side. All they need is anime and they will be champions again https://t.co/o9GiuvaJEi
— Branden Marotta (@brmarotta_) June 11, 2025
From memes to local pride, the internet embraced Pope Leo XIV as not just the head of the Catholic Church—but an honorary symbol of White Sox Nation.