(VIDEO) South Side Priest Delivers Personalized White Sox Pope Hat to Pope Leo XIV During Vatican Meeting

CHICAGO — Pope Leo XIV, the first American-born pontiff and a lifelong Chicago White Sox fan, has his own personalized version of the team’s viral “pope hat” giveaway after a South Side priest delivered the gift to him at the Vatican this week.

The Rev. Tom McCarthy, prior provincial of the Beverly-based Midwest Augustinians, met with the pope Wednesday and presented him with a gift box from the White Sox. The package included an upgraded version of the hat, featuring a sewn-on patch with the team’s logo, along with several of the original giveaway hats, a team jersey, a signed baseball card and a letter from White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf, according to Block Club Chicago.

The White Sox posted a photo of McCarthy and the pope holding the hat together on the social media platform X on Thursday, writing that the item had “officially landed at the Vatican.” The image quickly circulated online, drawing hundreds of thousands of views.

The hat traces back to a sold-out White Sox game on Aug. 11 against the Cincinnati Reds, when the team distributed roughly 40,000 of the black-and-gold hats to fans at Rate Field as part of a promotion celebrating the team’s connection to the pope. The design draws on the ceremonial miter worn by Catholic bishops, cardinals and the pope himself, reimagined with the White Sox’s white stocking logo. According to the team, the giveaway was originally planned as a limited-quantity item before it was expanded to include all fans following what the club described as overwhelming demand.

McCarthy attended that August game to accept a 14,000 dollar donation from White Sox charities on behalf of the Midwest Augustinian Province, the Catholic religious order Pope Leo, born Robert Francis Prevost, belonged to during his years in Chicago. McCarthy currently holds the same prior provincial position the pope once held within the order in the 1990s.

Speaking to Block Club Chicago about his meeting with the pope, McCarthy said Leo was pleased with the gifts and had one lighthearted regret about the timing. “He did say, ‘Too bad we didn’t win the game,’” McCarthy recalled. The White Sox lost that Aug. 11 contest 5-4 to the Reds, though the team has remained atop the American League Central Division for much of the season. As of this week’s announcement from the club, the White Sox held a two-and-a-half-game lead over the Cleveland Guardians in the division standings.

McCarthy, who grew up in the Marquette Park neighborhood, told Block Club Chicago that Pope Leo follows the White Sox from Vatican City, though he said he was unsure how closely the pope is able to track games given the seven-hour time difference between Chicago and Rome. During their meeting, McCarthy also recounted other moments from the Aug. 11 game, including a ceremonial first pitch from a former Marian Catholic High School teacher and a stadium-wide performance of the Catholic “Sign of Peace” ritual during the fifth inning, in which fans greeted and shook hands with those seated around them.

McCarthy described that moment as a powerful show of unity that transcended religious background. He also connected the enthusiasm around the pope’s fandom to a broader trend he said he has observed within the church, telling Block Club Chicago that some parishes have reported increased interest from both new converts and lapsed Catholics returning to the faith since Leo’s election.

Pope Leo, who was born in Chicago’s Bronzeville neighborhood and raised in the south suburb of Dolton, has spoken publicly about the connection between sports and community-building since becoming pope in May 2025. He attended Game 1 of the 2005 World Series, when the White Sox swept the Houston Astros for the franchise’s first championship since 1917, and has continued to express support for the team throughout his papacy, including wearing a White Sox cap during a Vatican general audience last year.

Illinois Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, who has met with the pope and discussed his fandom, has separately described Leo’s enthusiasm for the team as striking given the pontiff’s formal surroundings. According to comments reported by the Catholic Herald, Krishnamoorthi recounted the pope greeting him with a remark about the team’s loss on what had been designated Pope Leo Day at the ballpark, saying he was struck that the pontiff was “following the White Sox so religiously.”

McCarthy said he raised the possibility of Pope Leo eventually visiting Chicago, drawing a comparison to Pope John Paul II’s 1979 visit to the city, and said he came away from the conversation believing a return trip is likely at some point, even without a firm timetable. Demand for the original White Sox pope hat giveaway item has also picked up on the secondary market, with listings on eBay this week ranging from roughly 67 dollars to more than 200 dollars.