It should theoretically be easy to remember: white hat, white cloak, White Sox.
But on Monday, for the second time in two weeks, Pope Leo XIV again confronted the indignity of being associated with the Cubs.
His Holiness Mar Awa III, patriarch of the Assyrian Church of the East, gifted the Chicago-born pope a Chicago Cubs jersey with his name and the number 14 on the back. Patriarch Awa was also born in Chicago, suggesting the gesture could have been more of a gag than a gaffe.
They were photographed together with Pope Leo holding his jersey; they were both smiling, though Patriarch Awa’s smile was a tad wider.
That the Chicago Cubs are the more famous team from Chicago threatens to create awkward moments for the newly elected pope. While the Cubs made it to the playoffs earlier this month, the White Sox have been one of the league’s worst teams in recent years. On Oct. 15, as Pope Leo greeted crowds at the Vatican, one person yelled: “Go Cubs!”
The pope responded in Spanish, “Han perdido!” Then, he repeated the phrase in English, in case there was any confusion: “They lost!”
Pope Leo has made his allegiance more than clear, even pairing his traditional papal fit with a crisp White Sox hat in June, and, on another occasion, appearing to participate in a White Sox chant.
He, his friends, his family and virtually all who have known him have spoken about his long-held love for the team that is, by most accounts, the second team that would come to mind when thinking of the two Chicago baseball teams.
It does not help the pope that his beloved White Sox have made the playoffs only three times since winning the World Series in 2005.
Daniel Victor is a senior editor at The Times on the Live team, which covers breaking and developing news.
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