It didn’t take long after Cardinal Robert Prevost, a Chicago native, was chosen as the new pope for social media to catch fire with the most Chicago of debates: Is Pope Leo XIV a Cubs fan or a White Sox fan?
The Cubs shared a post on X showing a new message on the iconic Wrigley Field marquee that declared, “Hey, Chicago, He’s a Cubs fan!”
It didn’t take long after Cardinal Robert Prevost, a Chicago native, was chosen as the new pope for social media to catch fire with the most Chicago of debates: Is Pope Leo XIV a Cubs fan or a White Sox fan?
The Cubs shared a post on X showing a new message on the iconic Wrigley Field marquee that declared, “Hey, Chicago, He’s a Cubs fan!”
But the new pontiff’s brother, John Prevost, said his younger brother has been a proud White Sox fan since they were altar boys growing up in Dolton.
“They had it wrong. He’s Sox, and then the radio announced Cubs, and that’s not true,” John Prevost told CBS News Chicago, adding that the new pope has been a White Sox fan “as long as I’ve known him.”
The Prevost brothers frequently attended White Sox games growing up.
“Yes, we did. Because really, from Dolton to Sox Park wasn’t that big of a deal, and of course we were both altar boys, so that was one of the rewards that we got was to go to a Sox game,” John said.
In a statement, the White Sox said, “Family always knows best, and it sounds like Pope Leo XIV’s lifelong fandom falls a little closer to 35th and Shields.”
Some things are bigger than baseball, and in this case, we’re glad to have a White Sox fan represented at the Vatican.
A pinstripes White Sox jersey with his name on it and a hat already are on the way to Rome, and of course, the Pontiff always is welcome at his ballpark,” the team added.
After learning the pope’s brother had settled the debate, the White Sox were quick to share the news on the scoreboard at Rate Field, mocking their North Side counterparts: “Hey Chicago, He’s a Sox fan!”
Leo has two older brothers, John and Louis, who have been there for his journey from altar boy to the papacy.
John, a retired Catholic school principal, said the brothers had a normal childhood and traditional Catholic upbringing. They were all altar boys, but Leo knew from a young age he wanted to be a priest.
