The Chicago Cubs were made to look silly after making an unfounded claim in the wake of Robert F. Prevost being elected pope this Thursday.
The new Pontiff has his roots in Chicago, as he was born in the city. And it’s a huge deal, given that he’s the first American to fill the post of Vicar to Christ.
The Cubs jumped on the news, congratulating Prevost, now Pope Leo XIV, and declaring him a fan.
Congratulations to Pope Leo XIV! pic.twitter.com/s02yDDegQd
— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) May 8, 2025
Hey, Chicago. He’s a Cubs fan!” they wrote on a jumbotron at Wrigley Field and shared it to X with the caption “Congratulations to Pope Leo XIV!”
The Chicago Cubs Were Wrong…
That would have been very easy to believe, given that Pope Leo is a Chicago native, but his brother, John, has since debunked the claim, revealing his sibling is actually a fan of the White Sox.
“Yeah he was never, ever a Cubs fan, I don’t know where that came from,” John told WGN. “He was always a Sox fan. Our mother was a Cubs fan, our dad was a Cardinals fan. I don’t know where that all came from.”
Obviously the biggest question surrounding Chicago native Robert Prevost now that he is Pope Leo XIV: Cubs or White Sox? His brother gave the definitive answer to @WGNNews' @DanaRebikWGN pic.twitter.com/DvMiGZ0qHY
— Josh Frydman (@Josh_Frydman) May 8, 2025
The Sox responded by poking fun at the Cubs, sharing the clip and captioning it, “Well, would you look at that… Congratulations to Chicago’s own Pope Leo XIV.”
Well, would you look at that… Congratulations to Chicago's own Pope Leo XIV pic.twitter.com/U5DJ7TOyDr
— Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) May 8, 2025
While the Sox got the laugh on this front, the Cubs boast the advantage where it matters most and lead the National League Central with a 22-16 record.
The Sox came off a 2024 season in which they won just 41 games, and this campaign doesn’t look like it’s going to be any better. They are 10-28 at the moment and got shellacked by the Kansas City Royals in a 10-0 reverse on the day Prevost was appointed.
Of course, there’s always the possibility of divine intervention now that they have an advocate at the Vatican.
Also Read: NFL Fans Were Making The Same Clever Joke After A New Pope Was Unveiled At The Vatican On Thursday