Pope Leo Turns Heads For Wearing White Sox Baseball Hat During Public Appearance

In a moment that’s already turning into viral gold, newly elected Pope Leo XIV made headlines this week—not for doctrine, but for donning a White Sox baseball cap during a public appearance in Vatican City.

The image of the Chicago-born pontiff, formerly Robert Provost, smiling broadly beneath the black-and-white cap while dressed in his papal white robes, sparked a media frenzy. Taken during his weekly general audience on Wednesday, the photo captures the 78-year-old spiritual leader greeting newly married couples—and casually breaking a few traditions along the way.

This isn’t an AI-generated prank. It’s the real pope, with real fandom.

Pope Leo XIV is the first American ever to lead the Catholic Church, and just a month into his papacy, he’s already showing that he’s not your average pontiff. Sports loyalties, it seems, run deep. As speculation swirled over whether the new pontiff favored the Cubs or the White Sox, it didn’t take long for his brother John to end the debate—revealing that the Holy Father has been a die-hard White Sox fan for years. And yes, he attended the 2005 World Series, where the team snapped its 88-year title drought.

The moment adds to a growing profile of Leo XIV as a relatable, down-to-earth leader. Within hours of his election on May 8, social media dubbed him “Da Pope”—a nod to both his Chicago roots and his unfiltered, everyman appeal. Meme-makers flooded the internet with images (some AI-generated) of Leo posing with deep-dish pizza, hot dogs dragged through the garden, and bottles of Jeppson’s Malört—the Windy City’s famously bitter booze.

Graduates of Villanova University, where he completed his undergrad, joined the party too, posting doctored images of the pope in full Wildcat gear.

Of course, Leo isn’t the first pontiff to inspire a digital meme storm. His predecessor, Pope Francis, famously went viral in 2023 when an AI image showed him clad in a high-fashion puffer jacket, evoking Balenciaga more than the Bible.

Francis drew admiration for embracing a simpler style, ditching the Church’s traditional opulence by forgoing flashy accessories and replacing his red leather shoes with practical black ones designed for comfort. The media even dubbed him the “normcore pope.” He was named “Best-Dressed Man” by Esquire in 2013, despite his simple wardrobe.

Now, with Leo XIV sporting White Sox gear in the heart of St. Peter’s Square, it’s clear the age of the “relatable pope” is still going strong. A new mural spotted in Rome already shows the pontiff styled in a twist on a Chicago Bulls jersey—perhaps signaling that the pope’s unique take on tradition is just getting started.

And with baseball season heating up, don’t be surprised if we see “Da Pope” throwing out a ceremonial first pitch next.