Viral clip: Pope Leo XIV caught on camera at 2005 World Series

A decades-old baseball broadcast clip has unexpectedly gone viral for capturing a future pope in the stands — and confirming where his MLB loyalties truly lie.This week, a video resurfaced from Game 1 of the 2005 World Series between the Chicago White Sox and Houston Astros, revealing a now globally recognized face in the crowd: Pope Leo XIV, then known as Father Robert Prevost.The viral footage, shared by Joe Binder of Sox on 35th, shows Prevost in the stands during the ninth inning, wearing what appears to be a White Sox pinstriped jersey under his jacket. The clip quickly spread on social media, confirming what many in Chicago had speculated, that the first American-born pope is a die-hard White Sox fan.“It’s not unusual for the director to cut away from a shot of the field to the crowd during a critical moment in a baseball game,” wrote Jon Paul Hoornstra for Newsweek, adding, “It’s highly unusual for the cutaway to land on a fan who would someday become the leader of the Holy See.”John Prevost, the pontiff’s older brother, confirmed the team allegiance during interviews with several media outlets. Speaking to CBS Sports Chicago reporters Dorothy Tucker and Todd Feurer, he said:“He has cheered for the White Sox as long as I’ve known him.”In a separate interview with WGN, John added:“He was never, ever a Cubs fan. He was always a Sox fan. Our mother was a Cubs fan—I don’t know, maybe that factored in. And our dad was a Cardinals fan, so I don’t know where that all came from.”The clip was originally broadcast on Fox Sports, and Joe Buck, who was calling the game that night, even joked in hindsight:“Wonder if he told friends that I was rooting for the Astros.”Pope Leo XIV, born Robert Francis Prevost on September 14, 1955, in Chicago, was attending the 2005 World Series in his capacity as Prior General of the Order of Saint Augustine. At the time, he was serving in a key leadership role within the Catholic Church while living in Rome.The White Sox would go on to sweep the Astros in four games, clinching their first World Series title since 1917. That win marked only their second trip to the Fall Classic since the infamous 1919 Black Sox scandal.Much has changed since then, including the team’s ballpark names. U.S. Cellular Field is now known as Guaranteed Rate Field, and Minute Maid Park, home of the Astros, is now called Daikin Park. Even the league structures have shifted; the Astros now play in the American League, meaning a future White Sox-Astros World Series rematch is no longer possible under current alignment.Still, one thing hasn’t changed: the pope’s support for the South Siders.Pope Leo XIV was elected in 2025, becoming the first American-born pontiff in Catholic Church history. After years of missionary service in Peru, where he holds dual citizenship, he was appointed as Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops by Pope Francis in 2023, before eventually ascending to the papacy.He is a graduate of Villanova University, the Catholic Theological Union, and studied canon law at the Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas in Rome.After his election, the Chicago Cubs’ official X (formerly Twitter) account had congratulated the new pope, implying he was a fan. However, the 2005 clip and testimony from his brother seem to firmly refute that.Even former President Barack Obama, a well-known White Sox fan himself, extended congratulations to the new pope on social media, writing:“Michelle and I send our congratulations to a fellow Chicagoan, His Holiness Pope Leo XIV. This is a historic day for the United States, and we will pray for him as he begins the sacred work of leading the Catholic Church and setting an example for so many, regardless of faith.”Nearly 20 years later, the White Sox have not returned to the World Series, but now, at least, they can say they have a fan in the Vatican.