The Vatican just got a dose of Midwest energy.
In a headline-making appearance, Pope Leo XIV, the newly elected and first-ever American pope, stepped out in something rarely seen alongside papal whites: a Chicago White Sox baseball cap. The moment, captured during his weekly general audience in St. Peter’s Square, marked a surprisingly casual—and deeply personal—twist on centuries of formal dress codes.
Born Robert Provost in Chicago, Pope Leo has never hidden his love for his hometown. But the cap moment wasn’t just a fashion statement—it was confirmation of a long-debated question: Cubs or Sox? The answer is officially Sox, and fans didn’t have to wait long to hear it. Just days after his election on May 8, Leo’s brother confirmed the pope’s South Side allegiance, even referencing his attendance at the 2005 World Series, when the White Sox broke an 88-year championship drought.
“Da Pope” and the Meme Machine
The internet wasted no time. Within hours of his election, Pope Leo XIV was affectionately dubbed “Da Pope” by Chicago media, and meme culture went wild. From hot dog photoshops to mockups of the pontiff with bottles of Jeppson’s Malört, Leo quickly became a symbol of relatability—and a viral hit.
Even his alma mater, Villanova University, jumped in on the fun, sharing AI-generated images of the pope in full Villanova gear.
Following Francis’s Normcore Footsteps
Leo’s unexpected cap moment echoes the more relaxed tone set by Pope Francis I, who gained his own fashion buzz during his tenure. Unlike his predecessor, Pope Benedict XVI—famous for his ornate robes and red leather loafers—Francis preferred simplicity: humble robes and orthopedic black shoes. He even earned nods from Esquire and The Cut as a surprising style icon and was affectionately labeled the “normcore pope.”
Francis never stepped out in a jersey, but he was a known soccer enthusiast with deep ties to his hometown club, San Lorenzo de Almagro.
A New Papal Era (With Chicago Swagger)
Until now, Pope Leo XIV had flown mostly under the fashion radar. But this White Sox cap may be our first glimpse of a new kind of papal style legacy—personal, unpolished, and unapologetically Chicago.
A newly unveiled mural in Rome, painted by famed street artist TVBoy, shows Leo in a Chicago Bulls jersey. It’s bold, red, and possibly symbolic of what’s to come: a pontiff whose public image may just be as human—and hometown-rooted—as his ministry.
One month in, Pope Leo XIV is already shaking things up. And in case there was any doubt: yes, he’s repping the South Side.
