NEWYou can now listen to PK Press Club articles!
The moment sports fans found out there was a new American Pope and that he was born in Chicago, every American sports fan had a thought: Was he a Cubs or White Sox fan?
Soon, news emerged that he was a White Sox fan — not without a misinformation, however, that he was a Cubs fan — and soon after, footage was released showing that not only was the newly baptized Pope Leo XIV a fan, but that he had been in the stands at the 2005 World Series, which the White Sox won in a series sweep.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON PK Press Club
Justin Ishbia, Ambassador Brian Burch and Clay Travis with an autographed 2005 World Series jersey signed by all players seen on the left, while Pope Leo XIV is seen on the right. (OutKick; Reuters)
Pope Leo, born Robert Prevost, was elected Pope in May 2025, and then a month later it was announced that my friend and Vanderbilt Law School classmate, Justin Ishbia, was purchasing the Chicago White Sox.
We were both discussing fun ways for Justin to introduce himself to Chicago sports fans and I tossed around an idea: We should go to the Vatican and invite Pope Leo to throw out the first pitch at a planned new White Sox stadium.
After all, Pape Leo was a big enough White Sox fan to have attended the World Series 20 years ago as a fan in the crowd. Sure, he’s a pope now, but deep down, like all of us, he’s an avid sports fan.
We were both convinced that the idea was good, but it presented a challenge: how to get a meeting with the pope to invite him to launch the first speech?
Pope Leo (David Ramos/Getty Images)
POPE LEO XIV CALLS OUT PERSECUTION OF CHRISTIANS AMID LATEST MASSACRE OF CIVILIANS IN AFRICAN NATION
An invitation to the Pope
It’s not like you can just call the Vatican and ask to speak to the pope’s people.
Finally, we found our answer: Vatican Ambassador Brian Burch, who lived in Chicago with his family before his confirmation as ambassador.
Fortunately, Ambassador Burch loved the idea, and this morning in Vatican City, Justin and his wife Kristen met with the Pope, presented a replica of the team’s autographed 2005 White Sox World Series jersey, and extended the first invitation to Pope Leo, who said yes as long as his schedule permitted. (Turns out the Pope is pretty busy).
So the result, as many of you have probably already seen on social media, is impressive: the first-ever American-born pope will throw out the first pitch at a new Chicago White Sox stadium, which could mark the first time the pope has visited Chicago since 1979.
Pope Leo XIV prays for international media in the Paul VI Hall of the Vatican, May 12, 2025. (Domenico Stinellis)
Let’s hope it’s a strike.
And that Pope Leo can help bring back the magic of the 2005 season to White Sox fans.
