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Pope Leo XIV presented with personalized Tennessee football jersey at The Vatican

IMG_6598by: Nick Kosko09/08/25nickkosko59
pope leo
@CSexton25 on Twitter/X

Tennessee state representative Cameron Sexton met with Pope Leo XIV last week and presented him with a customized Tennessee jersey. Sounds like His Holiness is a Vols fan now!

Sexton got to meet Pope Leo at The Vatican, gifting him the jersey. It contains the No. 14 and spells out “Pope Leo” on the back of the white Tennessee jersey.

You can see the presentation below. If pictures are any justice, His Holiness is a big fan of the jersey. Perhaps God himself will bless the Vols in 2025.

As the first pope born in the United States, Pope Leo XIV isn’t afraid to embrace his American roots. During the General Audience address in June, Pope Leo XIV joined in with some fans chanting “White Sox,” in honor of the Pontiff’s hometown team.

The people in attendance leading the chant went wild when the Pope joined in, and who can blame them? It’s not everyday the leader of the Catholic world is rooting for the South Siders.

Of course, this isn’t the first time that the Pope has openly cheered on the Sox. The week prior, Leo XIV donned a White Sox cap at a general assembly. Leo XIV’s White Sox fandom went viral after the Chicago Cubs initially attempted to claim him, and the Pope’s brother clarified that Leo is actually a Sox fan.

The White Sox have embraced their most famous fan. In May, the organization unveiled a mural dedicated to the Pope outside of Rate Field.

“He has an open invite to throw out a first pitch,” said Brooks Boyer, the White Sox executive vice president, chief revenue and marketing officer. “Heck, maybe we’ll let him get an at-bat.

“For us to acknowledge the section by having the Pope be part of our history, for us to be able to put something as quickly as we have been able to do, to put this on the ballpark is something very special for us. It only adds to our 125 years of history at the park.”

On June 14, the Archdiocese of Chicago hosted a celebration of Pope Leo XIV and his White Sox fandom inside Rate Field. While the Pope himself wasn’t in attendance, the event included appearances from Cardinal Blase Cupich, the archbishop of Chicago and main celebrant for the event’s Mass; and Chuck Swirsky, the play-by-play voice of the Chicago Bulls and a reader at Holy Name Cathedral.