Pope Leo XIV’s Special Connection with Chicago White Sox
In an interesting twist, fans signed the jersey of a professional athlete. Pope Leo XIV received a jersey, which was presented to the renowned Paul Connelco, a former player for the Chicago White Sox.
Archbishop Blaze Capic of Chicago handed Connelco the jersey, adding the Pope’s signature on the back during a ceremony before a game against the Cleveland Guardians.
The jersey featured the six-time All-Star’s last name along with “Popleo” above the number 14.
When Robert Prevost was elected on May 8, he made history as the first pope from the United States in the Catholic Church’s existence.
Born in Chicago, the missionary known as Leo XIV is a fan of the White Sox.
Prevost attended the 2005 World Series opener versus Houston in Chicago, watching from section 140, row 19, seat 2, as the White Sox triumphed over the Astros 5-3, marking their first four-game sweep since 1917.
He even made an appearance on “MLB On Fox” during the game’s ninth inning, as cameras captured his excitement amidst the action.
The White Sox noted that the Pope attended the game with the late Ed Schmidt, a family friend and season ticket holder. They had connections through their roles at Catholic high schools in the south side of Chicago. Schmidt’s son, Nick, still holds the World Series seat account for the Pope.
It was actually Prevost’s brother, John, who first revealed his brother’s loyalty to the White Sox during an interview with WGN-TV. “He’s always been a Sox fan,” John added.
In May, the team introduced graphics near their seats to honor Pope Leo and commemorate this special moment. The artwork features images from a television broadcast of Pope Leo XIV waving, alongside a future Pope and Schmidt with his grandson, Eddie.
As members of the 2005 team gather in Chicago this weekend to celebrate the 20th anniversary of their Championship Run, the White Sox have also debuted a uniform patch in memory of Bobby Jenks, who recently passed away in Portugal. Additionally, on Friday, the team unveiled a statue honoring former ace Mark Buhl.
