In the wake of the death of Pope Francis, a new pope was chosen rather quickly compared to previous interactions of the sacred and mysterious ritual at the Sistine Chapel.
This time around, the newly selected pontiff, Pope Leo XIV, is from America -- the first pope to claim that title. And according to The Hill, recent video footage shows that he's definitely as American as it gets.
Pope Leo is not only a sports fan, he's apparently a die-hard baseball fan, specifically cheering on the Chicago White Sox.
A newly unearthed video showed Pope Leo cheering on his time at the 2005 World Series game between the White Sox and the Houston Astros, sparking viral commentary as a result of the video being published.
Hailing from Chicago, until recently it was a mystery whether or not Pope Leo was a White Sox fan or a Cubs fan -- a very important distinction in the Chicago sports scene.
The Hill noted:
The first American pontiff in history was caught on camera as his face twisted when White Sox closer Bobby Jenks closed out a 5-3 win over the Astros. The footage ends days of speculation about which team Pope Leo XIV has traditionally pulled for.
His brother, John, confirmed the reports that the new pope is a White Sox fan after the video went viral.
"He was never, ever a Cubs fan, so I don’t know where that came from. He was always a Sox fan. Our mother was a Cubs fan," his brother said.
He added, "I don’t know, maybe that clued in there, and our dad was a Cardinals fan, so I don’t know where that all came from."
They found Pope Leo XIV on the White Sox World Series broadcast in 2005
(h/t @SoxOn35th)pic.twitter.com/67egr9xE9I
— B/R Walk-Off (@BRWalkoff) May 9, 2025
The Cubs claimed at Wrigley field that Pope Leo was a Cubs fan, which sparked massive debate until the video settled the argument.
The Hill noted:
Pope Leo XIV, formerly known as Robert Prevost, is a native of Dolton, Ill., right outside the Chicago city limit. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Villanova University and completed mission work in Peru.
The White Sox congratulated the new pope, making sure to add that he's "the South Side’s very own."
Pope Leo has been congratulated by former presidents and many high-profile politicians as he assumes the papacy.
