The Chicago White Sox’s advancement in the playoffs may have come with some divine assistance thanks to the support of the Holy Father himself: Pope Leo XIV.
Born Robert Francis Prevost, the Chicago native has always counted himself a White Sox fan and even attended their 2005 World Series appearance in which they swept the Houston Astros. On Tuesday, after the team advanced in the playoffs, White Sox chairman Jerry Reinsdorf shared a letter he received from the Holy Father.
“As I have noted, sport can truly become a school of life, where all can learn that abundance does not come from victory at any cost, but from sharing, from respecting others and from the joy of walking together,” the Pope wrote. “In this spirit, it is my hope that the White Sox will continue to foster bonds of friendship and solidarity among people, and thus bear hopeful witness to the possibility of living and working together in peace. With these sentiments, I willingly invoke the Almighty’s abundant blessings upon you and your loved ones.”
Earlier this year, after the Seattle Seahawks secured a spot in the Super Bowl, a wild internet theory suggested it may all have been divinely ordained. The theory arose during the 2025 NFL playoffs when the Seattle Seahawks inched closer to the NFC Championship with fans noticing a bizarre, historic trend: the team’s Super Bowl appearances in the 21st Century seemed to miraculously coincide with the election of a new pope.
“So far this millennium, every time a new pope has been elected, the Seahawks have made it to the Super Bowl,” Fox 13 noted. “In 2005, with the election of Pope Benedict XVI, the Seahawks made it to Super Bowl XL, losing to the Steelers.”
“In 2013, with the election of Pope Francis, the Seahawks defeated the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XLVIII,” it added. “This year, Pope Leo XIV was elected.”
The theory took on a whole new level of meaning when the Seahawks defeated the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LX.