Pope Leo XIV brings hope to Chicago sports fans, and the Knicks for their Villanova ties

The sports loyalties of Pope Leo XIV became a topic of conversation almost as soon as the white smoke emerged from the Vatican's Sistine Chapel.

Elected on Thursday, Robert Prevost is the first pope from the United States in the history of the Catholic Church. The Chicago-born missionary, who took the name Leo XIV, also attended Villanova University near Philadelphia, where he received a Bachelor of Science in 1977.

Chicago's two baseball teams were front and center as sports fans reacted to the news.

It was initially reported that the new pope was a Cubs fan. The team congratulated Pope Leo XIV in a post on X that had a picture of Wrigley Field's iconic marquee with the message: HEY, CHICAGO. HE'S A CUBS FAN!

Congratulations to Pope Leo XIV! <a href="https://t.co/s02yDDegQd">pic.twitter.com/s02yDDegQd</a>

But his brother, John Prevost, set the record straight in an interview with WGN-TV. The pope is a White Sox fan.

The White Sox posted a clip from the brother's WGN interview on X, along with a picture of the Rate Field videoboard with the message: HEY CHICAGO, HE'S A SOX FAN! The post read "Well, would you look at that... Congratulations to Chicago's own Pope Leo XIV."

Well, would you look at that... Congratulations to Chicago's own Pope Leo XIV <a href="https://t.co/U5DJ7TOyDr">pic.twitter.com/U5DJ7TOyDr</a>

"Family always knows best, and it sounds like Pope Leo XIV's lifelong fandom falls a little closer to 35th and Shields," the White Sox said in a media statement. "Some things are bigger than baseball, and in this case, we're glad to have a White Sox fan represented at the Vatican. A pinstripes White Sox jersey with his name on it and a hat already are on the way to Rome, and of course, the Pontiff always is