White Sox Fever Reaches Vatican as Pope Leo XIV Cheers Along

As Pope Leo XIV rode through Vatican City in the popemobile, waving to a sea of onlookers, a group of overseas fans broke into an unexpected chant: “White Sox! White Sox!”

When the popemobile rolled past, the Dolton native cracked a smile—then joined in.

Pope Leo joined in on the White Sox chants 😂🗣️

He got HYPED at the end 👏

(via clashroyal3/TT) pic.twitter.com/AKPYbas0YL

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) June 19, 2025

The White Sox’s most famous fan is breathing new life into the South Side. First came a resurfaced clip of him in the crowd at Game 1 of the 2005 World Series. Then another—from St. Peter’s Square—showed him wearing a Sox cap gifted by a pair of Red Sox fans.

Earlier this month, Rate Field hosted a celebration honoring the Chicago-born pontiff. The event, organized by the Archdiocese of Chicago, even featured a video message from Pope Leo himself. Rate Field also unveiled a mural honoring the new pope earlier this year. 

The Chicago Pope craze hasn’t just captured the attention of the fans; the players have taken notice, too.
During an Foul Territory interview with former White Sox catcher AJ Pierzynski, Chase Meidroth said the White Sox have Pope shirts in their lockers. 

Chase Meidroth says the White Sox all have Pope shirts in their lockers. 😂 pic.twitter.com/hZhIdrwoRG

— Foul Territory (@FoulTerritoryTV) June 18, 2025

Other players have also taken notice. 

The White Sox No. 6 prospect had the Pope in mind after making his MLB debut against the Astros on July 9th. 

“I was joking with my family today, I was like, ‘I wonder if the Pope knows my name,’” Taylor told MLB.com.

The thought had also crossed White Sox manager Will Venable's mind.

"If he's a fan and locked into who the manager is, hopefully," Venable told MLB.com last week. "But I'm just glad he's supportive of the White Sox. That's awesome."