Da Pope: The Pope from the South Side of Chicago

A Pope from the South Side of Chicago — and a White Sox fan? Unbelievable. No one thought we'd see an American Pope in our lifetime—let alone one from the South Side. The shock of Pope Leo XIV's election still hasn't worn off. The more I think about it, the more elated I feel: a Chicagoan is now the successor of St. Peter.

As a proud South Sider, this hits home. The South Side is a world of its own—tight-knit, gritty, and full of heart. You can take the boy out of the South Side, but you can't take the South Side out of the boy. And now, one of our own sits on the Chair of St. Peter.

For us, identity runs deep: sports, pizza, and your local parish. That's South Side DNA. Chicago was built as a city of neighborhoods, each revolving around its parish. Weekends meant Mass, Aurelio's or Palermo's tavern-style pizza, and, of course, baseball. Especially White Sox baseball.

Prevost at Aurelio’s in Homewood

That's why I loved seeing old photos of Pope Leo: grabbing a slice at Aurelio's, attending the 2005 World Series when the Sox beat the Astros, and serving Mass at St. Mary's in Dolton. Then the media, as usual, got it wrong—initially claiming he was a Cubs fan. That was a gut punch. But his brother quickly set the record straight: Leo's been a Sox fan for life. You can't imagine how much that means to White Sox fans.

Prevost at 2005 World Series Game in Comiskey Park

Everyone loves to talk about the Cubs' 108-year drought—but let's not forget: the Sox went 88 years without a title. And we've always been the underdogs. Just look at any MLB fan map—Cubs fans dominate, and Sox fans are boxed into the South Side. But that only makes our loyalty deeper. Sox fans aren't just "not Cubs fans." We take the rivalry seriously. Meet a fellow Sox fan outside of Chicago, and there's an instant bond.

Every time I'm back on the South Side, I feel it—that accent, those quirks, that easy camaraderie. It's part of me. And now, it's part of the papacy. My mom even texted me right after the announcement: "Uncle Timmy's uncle—Fr. Ron from St. Rita's—used to know him!" According to him, "Fr. Bob" (Pope Leo XIV) is the real deal.

So let's pray for our new Holy Father. Let's move past the bickering of the last twelve years. We've got an American Pope, and—dang it—he might just be the unifier we've been hoping for.

I'll be sharing more thoughts soon. His first homily was excellent. I also want to reflect on why he might have chosen the name Leo—especially in light of Leo XIII's legacy, Catholic Social Teaching, and that thorny idea of "Americanism."

But for now, I'll just say this: I hope one day to sit down with Pope Leo XIV over a thin-crust sausage pizza from Palermo's and watch the Sox. It might be a papal first—but we're clearly living a time of firsts.