Ever since Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost ascended to the papacy as Pope Leo XIV, Chicago sports have been on a miraculous upswing.
The Bulls, Blackhawks, and Bears have all opened their seasons with winning records, while the Cubs are coming off a competitive campaign that ended in the NLDS, and the White Sox are showcasing some of the most exciting prospects in baseball.
When you have a pope from one of America’s most storied sports cities, it’s bound to turn heads. Chicago native Pope Leo XIV made headlines when he donned a White Sox cap at the Vatican, playfully teased the Cubs after their NLDS loss, and told a fan he roots for the Bulls.
On Tuesday, Mar Awa III, who is also a Chicago native, used his visit to the Vatican to get back at Pope Leo. Awa “mistakenly” gifted Leo a Cubs jersey.
Pope Leo did not look particularly thrilled with the exchange.
The Cubs enjoyed a strong 2025 season, winning 92 games and finishing second in the NL Central.
Pope Leo XIV grew up on Chicago’s South Side as a devoted White Sox fan. His baseball loyalties, though, came from a divided household as his father cheered for the St. Louis Cardinals, while his mother rooted for the Cubs from the city’s North Side.
In 2005, Leo witnessed history firsthand, attending the game that clinched the White Sox’s first World Series title since 1917.
