The Pope Wore a White Sox Hat and Everyone Is Freaking Out

Tadahito Iguchi. Esteban Loaiza. Liam Hendriks. These are all Chicago White Sox of yore that the literal Pope has definitely heard of. I could keep going—mostly because I know much more about the White Sox than the papacy—but I’ll spare you the procession of random guys. Herbert Perry. Okay, that was the last one.

I am racking my brain for the names of random middling baseball players because, you see, the Pope wore a White Sox hat yesterday. Pope Leo XIV—née Robert Francis Prevost—has probably worn a White Sox hat hundreds of times in his life. But this instance was especially notable because he wore it atop his papal robes as he greeted newlywed couples at the Vatican. That’s right: the leader of the Catholic Church carried out his official duties while also maybe wondering how the White Sox would fare later that night. (Spoiler alert: not well! In a rematch of the 2005 World Series, they got waxed 10-2 by the Astros.)

Speaking of that 2005 World Series—in which Chicago swept Houston, breaking an 88-year championship drought—the Pope was there! So before you come at him with fake fan allegations, consider that he stood in the freezing cold during Game 1 to watch his Sox make history. You don’t shell out that kind of dough unless you really care.

When news of His Holiness’ wardrobe hit the White Sox clubhouse, manager Will Venable said, “It’s great. I love the support. Need it.” You see, the White Sox are a dreadful baseball team. Last year, they set the one record no team wants to set: most losses in a single season. In the century-plus-long annals of Major League Baseball, no team suffered more losing than the 2024 White Sox. In 2025, while they are still in last place—and own the American League’s worst record—they are not the absolute worst team in the league. That distinction belongs to the Colorado Rockies, who are somehow 12-55.

But back to the Pope. He undoubtedly knows all of this, and I’m sure is tickled by his new job coinciding with his favorite baseball team being the WOAT. A percentage of the most powerful man in Catholicism’s prayers are now going to up-and-comers like Shane Smith and Kyle Teel, who headline the White Sox’s group of 2000s baby saviors. If even one percent of his daily thoughts are about resurrecting baseball on the South Side, I think that’s beautiful—just like the White Sox’s hat, which is squarely in the top five of MLB hats. There’s a reason why hip-hop pioneers like Ice Cube, Eazy-E, and Dr. Dre stayed wearing the White Sox hat. It’s got a simple design, a color scheme that goes with everything, and can be worn for a music video or a blessing in St. Peter’s Square with equal panache.