The Chicago White Sox continue to lean into the fact that Pope Leo XIV is a lifelong fan of their team.
The White Sox have placed a marker on the seat Pope Leo sat in when he attended a 2005 World Series game at Chicago’s Rate Field. Photos of Leo XIV attending Game 1 of the series went viral after his ascension to the papacy.
The seat now bears an image of Leo XIV, a Chicago native, along with a plaque “mark(ing) the location where Pope Leo XIV cheered on the White Sox during Game 1 of the 2005 World Series” while still a cardinal.
Love ya, Chicago. pic.twitter.com/mLwjpNPBFL
— Thomas C. Bowen (@thomascbowen) August 22, 2025
Some may find this to be a bit much, but the White Sox are the only team that can claim any pope as a lifelong fan. It makes sense that they would want to make the most of it, especially since he was initially wrongly labeled as a Cubs fan.
Leo XIV has even continued to show off his White Sox fandom at the Vatican. The love affair certainly appears to be mutual.
