Cardinal presents Paul Konerko with special papal memento during ceremony honoring 2005 championship team
Thousands celebrate Pope Leo XIV at Chicago ballpark
'Fox & Friends First' co-host Carley Shimkus shares highlights from the Pope Leo celebration at Rate Field that included a full Catholic mass and a video message from the pope.
In a reversal of roles, a fan has signed a jersey for a pro athlete.
Pope Leo XIV had a signed jersey delivered to former Chicago White Sox great Paul Konerko.
Chicago Archbishop Blase Cupich presented Konerko a jersey with the new pontiff's signature on the back during a ceremony before a game against the Cleveland Guardians. It had the six-time All-Star's last name and "Pope Leo" above the No. 14.
The outfield video board displays a congratulatory message for Pope Leo XIV before a game between the Miami Marlins and Chicago White Sox at Rate Field May 9, 2025, in Chicago (Abigail Dean/Getty Images)
Robert Prevost became the first pope from the U.S. in the history of the Catholic Church when he was elected May 8. The Chicago-born missionary, who took the name Leo XIV, is a White Sox fan.
Prevost attended the 2005 World Series opener against Houston in Chicago. He watched from Section 140, Row 19, Seat 2 as the White Sox beat the Astros 5-3 on their way to a four-game sweep and their first title since 1917.
Prevost was shown on the "MLB on FOX" broadcast for that game at U.S. Cellular Field Oct. 22, 2005, and the cameras caught him during the top of the ninth inning as the White Sox were clinching a 5-3 win over the Houston Astros.
Before he became the Pope, he was cheering on the White Sox at Game 1 of the 2005 World Series on FOX 🙌 pic.twitter.com/7I3GROAXYR
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) May 10, 2025
According to the White Sox, the pope attended the game with the late Ed Schmit, a family friend and season ticket holder. They knew each other through their work at a Catholic high school on Chicago’s South Side, and Schmit’s son, Nick, remains the account holder for the pope’s World Series seat.
Prevost was first revealed as a White Sox fan when his brother, John Prevost, mentioned it in an interview with WGN-TV.
Pope Leo XIV sent a special gift for PK14 pic.twitter.com/AZ34d8iTkp
— Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) July 12, 2025
"He was always a Sox fan," John said.
In May, the team unveiled a graphic installed near the seat paying tribute to Pope Leo and that moment. The pillar artwork features a waving Pope Leo XIV along with a picture from the TV broadcast of the future pope sitting with good Schmit and his grandson, Eddie.
Fans walk outside Rate Field before a game between the Chicago White Sox and the Boston Red Sox. (Patrick Gorski/Imagn Images)
Members of the 2005 team are in Chicago this weekend to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the championship run. The White Sox debuted uniform patches honoring late closer Bobby Jenks, who died last week in Portugal, where he was being treated for stomach cancer. On Friday, the team unveiled a statue of former ace Mark Buehrle.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Jackson Thompson is a sports writer for Fox News Digital. He previously worked for ESPN and Business Insider. Jackson has covered the Super Bowl and NBA Finals, and has interviewed iconic figures Usain Bolt, Rob Gronkowski, Jerry Rice, Troy Aikman, Mike Trout, David Ortiz and Roger Clemens.
