Updated

Updated · WLS-TV · Aug 28

Father Tom McCarthy Delivers White Sox Pope Hat to Pope Leo XIV After Sold-Out Giveaway

Updated

Updated · WLS-TV · Aug 28

Father Tom McCarthy Delivers White Sox Pope Hat to Pope Leo XIV After Sold-Out Giveaway

Q: What was Pope Leo's surprising reaction when gifted his very own black-and-gold White Sox mitre at the Vatican?

Pope Leo’s notable reaction was a joke: after receiving the black-and-gold White Sox mitre and related gifts at the Vatican, he reportedly said, “Too bad we didn’t win the game.” That account came from Father Tom McCarthy, the Chicago-born Augustinian priest who delivered the hat. McCarthy said the pope “really enjoyed it,” suggesting the gift was warmly received rather than treated as a formal novelty. The broader context helps explain the moment. The White Sox had created the “pope hat” as a popular giveaway tied to Leo’s Chicago roots and longtime connection to the team, and McCarthy also brought a jersey, a signed baseball card and a letter from owner Jerry Reinsdorf. A photo released afterward showed the pope holding the hat at the Vatican. There was still no confirmation that Pope Leo actually put the hat on. But his quip about the team’s result made clear that, even from the Vatican, he was reacting like a genuine White Sox fan.

3 articles · Updated · WLS-TV · Aug 28

Vatican-bound Father Tom McCarthy handed Pope Leo XIV a Chicago White Sox “Pope Hat,” giving the pontiff his own version of the team’s black-and-gold novelty mitre.
Earlier this month, the White Sox built the moment with a “Pope Hat” giveaway night in Chicago that sold out as thousands of fans wore the hat at the game.
The gesture plays off Pope Leo’s well-known White Sox fandom, linking the Vatican audience to a team promotion that had already become a local spectacle.
No details were released on whether Pope Leo tried on the hat, but the delivery extends the Chicago team’s pope-themed celebration beyond the ballpark.