Pope Leo XIV signs commemorative jersey for White Sox great Paul Konerko

In a reversal of roles, a fan has signed a jersey for a pro athlete. 

Pope Leo XIV had a signed jersey delivered to former Chicago White Sox great Paul Konerko. 

Chicago Archbishop Blase Cupich presented Konerko a jersey with the new pontiff’s signature on the back during a ceremony before a game against the Cleveland Guardians. It had the six-time All-Star’s last name and “Pope Leo” above the No. 14.

Robert Prevost became the first pope from the U.S. in the history of the Catholic Church when he was elected May 8. The Chicago-born missionary, who took the name Leo XIV, is a White Sox fan.

Prevost attended the 2005 World Series opener against Houston in Chicago. He watched from Section 140, Row 19, Seat 2 as the White Sox beat the Astros 5-3 on their way to a four-game sweep and their first title since 1917.

Prevost was shown on the “MLB on FOX” broadcast for that game at U.S. Cellular Field Oct. 22, 2005, and the cameras caught him during the top of the ninth inning as the White Sox were clinching a 5-3 win over the Houston Astros.

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According to the White Sox, the pope attended the game with the late Ed Schmit, a family friend and season ticket holder. They knew each other through their work at a Catholic high school on Chicago’s South Side, and Schmit’s son, Nick, remains the account holder for the pope’s World Series seat.

Prevost was first revealed as a White Sox fan when his brother, John Prevost, mentioned it in an interview with WGN-TV. 

“He was always a Sox fan,” John said.

In May, the team unveiled a graphic installed near the seat paying tribute to Pope Leo and that moment. The pillar artwork features a waving Pope Leo XIV along with a picture from the TV broadcast of the future pope sitting with good Schmit and his grandson, Eddie.

Members of the 2005 team are in Chicago this weekend to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the championship run. The White Sox debuted uniform patches honoring late closer Bobby Jenks, who died last week in Portugal, where he was being treated for stomach cancer. On Friday, the team unveiled a statue of former ace Mark Buehrle.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

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