After hours of conflicting reports regarding the baseball fandom of Pope Leo XIV, family confirmed the south suburban native was indeed a fan of the Chicago White Sox.
However, more evidence of the pope's baseball fandom emerged Friday as fans learned he was in attendance for Game 1 of the 2005 World Series, the first of four straight White Sox wins over the Houston Astros en route to their first championship in 88 years.
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WATCH HEREWith the game on the line and closer Bobby Jenks on the mound in the ninth inning during the contest's climax, the Fox broadcast camera briefly panned to the crowd, showing anxious fans holding their breath hoping for the relief of a South Siders win.
Among those anxious fans? None other than Dolton native Pope Leo XIV, seen wearing a White Sox jersey and jacket in the stands.
They found Pope Leo XIV on the White Sox World Series broadcast in 2005
— B/R Walk-Off (@BRWalkoff) May 9, 2025
(h/t @SoxOn35th)pic.twitter.com/67egr9xE9I
The White Sox went on to sweep the Astros, completing what was one of the most dominant postseasons in MLB history, going 11-1 throughout the course of the playoffs.
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