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Daily Mail
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Incredible moment Pope Leo joins in with MLB chants while greeting Vatican visitors
Pope Leo XIV still holds close ties to his homegrown roots in the city of Chicago where he was born and raised. One of the ways he does this is through his love of the MLB's Chicago White Sox. Leo XIV has been holding the office as supreme pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church for only a few months now, but he still remains supportive of the South Siders amidst their struggles. In a recent video taken from what appears to be St. Peter's Square, Leo XIV was seen greeting devout believers who gathered in the plaza. One group of people - those recording the video - began to start chanting 'White Sox, White Sox' as the Pope came driving by. As Leo XIV passed the chanting group, he joined in - with the Pope returning the chants. The Pope - born Robert Prevost - retains close ties to the White Sox as well as his alma mater, Villanova University. Pope Leo joined in on the White Sox chants 😂🗣️ He got HYPED at the end 👏 (via clashroyal3/TT) — Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) June 19, 2025 Last week, Pope Leo donned a White Sox hat as he greeted Vatican visitors, including a pair of newlyweds. It's unclear if the man and woman were from Chicago or how the hat materialized, but the struggling White Sox were all too happy to post some of the images online anyway. '.@Pontifex representing his favorite squad,' read the White Sox post. Fans from the Midwestern metropolis remain stunned to see a White Sox fan in the Vatican. 'Even 3 months ago, you could've given me 1,000,000 to 1 odds and I never would've taken a bet that THE POPE WEARING A WHITE SOX HAT would happen,' one wrote on X. 'As a Chicago area native I could never have imagined a Chicago Pope,' another added. One fan remained so skeptical of the Pope's White Sox allegiance they asked X's AI tool: '@grok is this real?' Grok then confirmed the authenticity of the photos. Despite their favored status at the Vatican, the White Sox are in the midst of another disappointing season. Not only are they 23.5 games out of first in the American League Central at 23-50 entering Thursday, but the team's leading hitter is Miguel Vargas at just .242. Luis Robert Jr., the team's star centerfielder and most recognizable player, is batting just .190. Pope Leo's fandom has been a rare bright spot for the South Siders, who recently unveiled a tribute to their Holiest fan as the White Sox were on their way to a third-place finish. Now, in section 140, Row 19, and Seat 2 at Rate Field on Chicago's South Side, fans can find a graphic installation marking Pope Leo's seat for Game 1 of the 2005 World Series. Chicago would go on to win its first MLB crown since 1917 that year. Footage from the game — Chicago's 5-3 win over the visiting NL-champion Houston Astros — shows a younger Pope Leo in the crowd during his time as prior for the Order of Saint Augustine. There had been some erroneous reporting after he was named Pope that he was actually a Cubs fan, but his brother John Prevost has since put that myth to rest. 'He was never ever a Cubs fan, so I don't know where that came from,' Prevost told Chicago's WGN TV. 'He was always a Sox fan. Our mother was a Cubs fan. I don't know, maybe that clued in there and our dad was a Cardinals fan, so I don't know where all that came from. Footage has emerged of Pope Leo watching Chicago win Game 1 of the 2005 World Series 'And all the aunts, our mom's family was from the north side, so that's why they were Cubs fans.' The club is in the process of being sold to Justin Ishbia, the brother of Phoenix Suns owner Mat Ishbia. The team announced the deal last week. Ishbia will make capital infusions to the team as a limited partner in 2025 and 2026 in order to pay down existing club debt and support ongoing team operations. Under the agreement, White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf has the option to sell controlling interest to Ishbia from 2029 to 2033, after which Ishbia can obtain a majority stake.
New York Times
5 days ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Big Cheers for No. 14, Pope Leo, at the Ballpark
Visuals by Jamie Kelter Davis Text by Ruth Graham Tens of thousands of Catholic Chicagoans and others gathered in the stands at Rate Field on Saturday afternoon for a celebration of the election of Pope Leo XIV. The joyful atmosphere at the park was a testament to faith: in the Church, in the son of Chicago who now leads it, in the White Sox, or in some combination of all three. Cardinal Blase J. Cupich said the event was designed as 'an opportunity to say that there's a lot of good that happens in Chicago.' The new pope, the former Robert Prevost, grew up in a modest brick home in a south suburb, Dolton, just on the other side of the city line, and is a confirmed Sox fan. 'We want to celebrate that he's not only from America, but he's from Chicago, and he's from the South Side,' said Rose Carlson, 42, as she filed into the ballpark with her husband, Eric. The couple saw Leo's election as a good omen for their team, noting that he was photographed days earlier sporting the team's black-and-white cap with his white papal cassock. With his election, 'the White Sox went worldwide,' Ms. Carlson said. 'Now they're higher than the Cubs.' They were both wearing Sox jerseys with 'LEO 14' on the back. More than 30,000 tickets to the event sold out within days of the announcement last month, organizers said. The ballpark, which has a capacity of 40,615 for White Sox games, was about half full on Saturday. The weather was sunny and mild, what might objectively be described as a perfect day. As crowds began to gather outside around noon, the mood was buoyant, with young people playing guitars, drumming and dancing. Inside, people waited in line to take photographs with cardboard cutouts of Leo in his papal robes, as well as by a fresh mural commemorating Leo's visit to the ballpark for Game 1 of the World Series in 2005, the last time the White Sox won the title. The event began with an eclectic program that included a welcome from a White Sox representative, who noted that Chicago baseball greats Paul Konerko and Ernie Banks both wore the number 14. The crowd also heard an original song about Leo's life with lyrics like, 'Called into the Vatican dicastery, where he dealt with problems and bureaucracy.' Students from Our Lady of Mount Carmel Academy also appeared onstage in their costumes from a mock conclave the school held in early May, before Pope Leo was selected from their hometown. (Their selection was a fourth- grader named Augie, who took the papal name Pope Augustine.) At the Mass that followed the program, Bible passages were read in Spanish, Polish and English, as well as prayers in Tagalog and other languages. Songs included traditional hymns, a popular Spanish praise song, and the spiritual 'Wade in the Water.' 'It's the joy of knowing there's so much that unites us,' said Maria Torres, 37, who had traveled in a group of 15 family members from Kewanee, Ill., about 150 miles outside the city. 'There are so many identities here, so many cultures, values, traditions and languages, but it's one person that unites us all.' At the culmination of the Mass, nearly 500 lay ministers and ushers dispersed throughout the stadium to distribute Communion. Elsewhere in the city and across the country, demonstrators were pouring into parks and streets, after a week in which President Trump deployed the National Guard and the Marines to Los Angeles in response to protests over immigration raids. Cardinal Cupich alluded to the turmoil in his homily. 'It is wrong to scapegoat those who are here without documents,' he said, to cheers from many in the stands. 'They are here due to a broken immigration system which both parties have failed to fix.' Leo himself made an appearance of sorts, in the form of a video message recorded at the Vatican and displayed on the large digital display looming above the outfield. In his first public address to an American audience, he encouraged young people to see themselves as 'beacons of hope.' After the Mass, the music continued, with a break for a familiar ballpark refrain. The crowd laughed with recognition, and then joined in: 'Let's go, Leo,' they chanted. 'Let's go!'
Fox Sports
11-06-2025
- Sport
- Fox Sports
Pope Leo XIV wears Chicago White Sox hat during papal audience
Pope Leo XIV, the first American pope who was elected such in early May, was quickly discovered to be a White Sox fan. It was confirmed that, when he was still known as Robert Prevost, that he had even attended Game 1 of the 2005 World Series. A game the White Sox won, as they did every matchup of the Fall Classic in a sweep of the Houston Astros. He hasn't forgotten his allegiance to the South Side's team in the last 20 years, either: while hosting his weekly general papal audience on Wednesday in St. Peter's Square in the Vatican, Pope Leo was wearing a White Sox hat. It's fitting, really, since the papal audience is meant to be an opportunity for visitors to see and hear the pope in person and receive his blessing. What better way to seem like a man of the people than to wear a hat from your favorite team? And of the White Sox, of all teams? It's been a long time since Frank Thomas was in their lineup, no one is wearing a White Sox hat unless they really mean it these days. The White Sox are 13-17 since May 8, when Robert Prevost become Pope Leo XIV. That doesn't sound great, but consider this: they were 10-28 before their boy became the head of the Catholic church. A 13-17 stretch, coming off of that awful start and having set the modern single-season losses record the year before? That's the stuff of miracles. The White Sox, for their part, have made sure the relationship isn't one-sided. Last month, they preserved that Game 1 appearance in the form of a graphic installation at Rate Field, right where Pope Leo sat during Game 1. Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account , and follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily! FOLLOW Follow your favorites to personalize your FOX Sports experience Chicago White Sox Major League Baseball recommended Get more from Major League Baseball Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more in this topic
Japan Times
09-06-2025
- Politics
- Japan Times
Pope Leo condemns 'exclusionary mindset' in Pentecost address
Pope Leo XIV exhorted the faithful on Sunday to reject an "exclusionary mindset" he said had led to nationalism around the world. Leo's homily did not call out current events and conflicts nor identify individual leaders. But his choice of language was significant, encouraging people to "open borders" within their hearts and minds. The address marked a month since the former Robert Prevost from Chicago was elected pope, and came during a Sunday mass to celebrate Pentacost held under sunny skies in St. Peter's Square. Before mass, the 69-year-old pontiff made a turn around the sprawling Baroque square in his popemobile to the enthusiastic cheers of the crowd, estimated by the Vatican at around 80,000 people. Leo said the Church "must open the borders between peoples and break down the barriers between class and race." People must move "beyond our fear of those who are different," he said, noting that the Holy Spirit "breaks down barriers and tears down the walls of indifference and hatred ..." "Where there is love, there is no room for prejudice, for 'security' zones separating us from our neighbors, for the exclusionary mindset that, tragically, we now see emerging also in political nationalisms." Leo did not speak of physical borders but his focus on barriers and walls evoked the politics of U.S. President Donald Trump, who has vowed to stem illegal immigration into the United States. The pope also said the Holy Spirit was an antidote to toxic relationships marked by "suspicion, prejudice or the desire to manipulate others." "With great pain," Leo cited "cases where relationships are marked by an unhealthy desire for domination, an attitude that often leads to violence, as is shown, tragically, by numerous recent cases of femicide." In Italy, a slew of femicides have become front-page news over the last month, including the killing of a 14-year-old girl by her boyfriend last week. Leo also cited the dangers of social media, saying it risked making people "ever more alone" within a "vortex of individualism." "Constantly connected, yet incapable of 'networking'. Always immersed in a crowd, yet confused and solitary travelers," he said. Since his election, Leo has offered to mediate between leaders of countries at war and earlier this week, he had his first telephone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Several speeches made by the new pontiff — including among his first words from St Peter's Basilica when he became pope on May 8 — have focused on building bridges between individuals and peoples. Pentecost marks the end of the Easter season and commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit on the apostles and disciples of Jesus Christ.
Free Malaysia Today
08-06-2025
- Politics
- Free Malaysia Today
Pope Leo blasts nationalist politics at Sunday mass
Pope Leo is the first pontiff from the US. (AP pic) VATICAN CITY : Pope Leo criticised the emergence of nationalist political movements today, calling them unfortunate, without naming a specific country or national leader. Leo, the first pope from the US, asked during a mass with a crowd of tens of thousands in St Peter's Square that god would 'open borders, break down walls (and) dispel hatred'. 'There is no room for prejudice, for 'security' zones separating us from our neighbours, for the exclusionary mindset that, unfortunately, we now see emerging also in political nationalisms,' said the pontiff. Leo, the former cardinal Robert Prevost, was elected on May 8 to succeed the late Pope Francis as leader of the 1.4-billion-member church. Before becoming pontiff, Prevost was not shy about criticising US President Donald Trump, sharing numerous disapproving posts about Trump and vice-president JD Vance on X in recent years. The Vatican has not confirmed the new pope's ownership of the X account, which had the handle @drprevost, and was deactivated after Leo's election. Francis, pope for 12 years, was a sharp critic of Trump. The late pope said in January that the president's plan to deport millions of migrants in the US during his second term was a 'disgrace'. Earlier, Francis said Trump was 'not Christian' because of his views on immigration. 'A person who thinks only about building walls, wherever they may be, and not building bridges, is not Christian,' Francis said when asked about Trump in 2016. Leo was celebrating a mass for Pentecost, one of the church's most important holidays.
