Wednesday, September 30, 2026 300 stories · 2833 outlet reports compared

White Sox receive letter from Pope Leo XIV ahead of Wild Card playoff opener

Pope Leo XIV, a Chicago native and White Sox fan, sent a letter to the team on the day of its AL Wild Card Series opener against the Houston Astros.

By The Lumen desk · Sept 30, 2026 · 1 min read
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What we know
1 Pope Leo XIV sent a letter to the Chicago White Sox on the day of their AL Wild Card Series opener.
2 The White Sox faced the Houston Astros in the series.
3 According to Yahoo Sports, the letter was addressed to White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf and announced via the team's X account.
4 Fox Sports and Yahoo Sports both described Pope Leo XIV as a White Sox fan; Fox Sports noted he is a Chicago native.

The Chicago White Sox received a letter from Pope Leo XIV on the day of their AL Wild Card Series opener against the Houston Astros.

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According to Yahoo Sports, the letter was sent to White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf, with the news shared via the team's account on X (formerly Twitter).

Fox Sports described Pope Leo XIV as a Chicago native and White Sox fan, a connection cited across coverage of the letter.

How each side covered it

Left

3 outlets
  • Reported that the White Sox received a letter from Pope Leo XIV on the day of their playoff opener.
  • Noted the opponent was the Houston Astros.

“White Sox receive a letter from Pope Leo XIV on day of playoff opener” — Associated Press

Center

2 outlets
  • Described the letter as a show of support from Pope Leo XIV, called the team's 'biggest fan' by Yahoo Sports.
  • Reported the letter was sent to White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf, according to the team's X account.
  • Placed the letter in context of the AL Wild Card series opener on Tuesday.

“White Sox news: Chicago received ultimate blessing in letter from the Pope before Wild Card Game vs. Astros” — Yahoo Sports

Right

1 outlet
  • Identified Pope Leo XIV as a Chicago native and White Sox fan.
  • Reported the letter arrived ahead of the Wild Card Series game against the Astros.

“Ahead of their AL Wild Card Series game against the Houston Astros, the White Sox announced the team received a letter from Pope Leo XIV, a Chicago native and White Sox fan.” — Fox Sports

Questions readers ask

What happened with Pope Leo XIV and the White Sox?

Pope Leo XIV sent a letter to the Chicago White Sox on the day of their AL Wild Card Series opener against the Houston Astros, according to multiple outlets.

Who did the Pope address the letter to?

According to Yahoo Sports, the letter was sent to White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf, with the news announced via the team's X account.

Why is Pope Leo XIV connected to the White Sox?

Fox Sports reported that Pope Leo XIV is a Chicago native and a fan of the White Sox.

Who were the White Sox playing in the playoffs?

The Chicago White Sox played the Houston Astros in the AL Wild Card Series.

Sources · 6 outlet reports

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