On Thursday, cardinal Robert Prevost became the first American elected pope. Prevost, 69, is a Chicago native. He chose Leo XIV as his papal name.
After some initial confusion, Prevost was confirmed to be a White Sox fan by his brother, John. He’s not a Cubs fan. In fact, Prevost is such a big White Sox fan that he was at Game 1 of the 2005 World Series at what is now known as Rate Field. Prevost made an appearance in the stands during a ninth-inning crowd shot:
Just think, the pope might have some hot takes about Scott Podsednik and Joe Crede. Hopefully this leads to Prevost throwing out the ceremonial first pitch in full pope garb at a White Sox game at some point.
The new pope’s apparent White Sox fandom marks the latest chapter in an interesting history between the game of baseball and the Catholic Church. Several popes have held Mass at MLB stadiums, with Yankee Stadium, Shea Stadium, Dodger Stadium, Candlestick Park, Camden Yards and Nationals Park among the parks that have welcomed His Holiness through the years.
