Pope Leo has been drawing praise — and a few raised eyebrows — after proudly showcasing his American roots through an unconventional fashion choice.
Pope Leo XIV, born Robert Prevost, made history in early May when he became the first American to be elected as leader of the Catholic Church.
Originally from Chicago, the new pontiff has received widespread admiration from around the world — including from those outside the Catholic faith — thanks in part to his uniquely American background.
His election has also sparked renewed interest among Americans in the rich traditions and rituals of the Vatican, including the symbolic act of choosing a new name upon becoming pope.
As well as this, the Pope recently seemed to delight many with an interaction with a person who wanted him to have a rather peculiar gift.
Pope Leo made a one-handed catch of a cloth doll of himself thrown by a White Sox baseball fan while he was on the move in the popemobile.
The Catholic leader has been praised again for showing his support for the baseball team with his choice of attire.
People online absolutely loved the outfit (Filippo MONTEFORTE / AFP) (Photo by FILIPPO MONTEFORTE/AFP via Getty Images)
If you were hoping to see the pope in a baseball jersey you’re out of luck, but he was spotted donning a black and white Chicago White Sox baseball cap while wearing traditional clothing.
He wore this while on June 11 as he met newly wedded couples in St. Peter’s Square in the Vatican.
Many on social media loved the outfit, while others joked about the team’s rather abysmal record.
One Twitter user said: “Not catholic but @Pontifex has been dropping banger after banger here would tailgate w/ him in a heartbeat.”
Another joked: “Sadly, he could start for the White Sox right now. They need all the help they can get… 2nd worst record in baseball.”
A third commented: “The White Sox suck but this goes hard.”
White Sox fans back in the US have been loving Pope Leo’s appointment (Patrick Gorski/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Someone else added: “You know he’s legit because he’s got that s*** on after the worst season in baseball history.”
And one fan simply wrote: “Seeing a POPE with this affiliation with American sports is wild.”
Interestingly enough, when Prevost was announced as the Pope, some Chicago Cubs fans attempted to claim him however his brother, John Prevost, set the record straight on this.
Speaking to local news outlets, he said: “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. 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. And all the aunts in our mom’s family were from North Side, so that’s why they were Cubs fans.”
