Pope Leo XIV receives World Series baseball from former White Sox catcher A.J. Pierzynski
Pierzynski posted photos showing the exchange at the Vatican, where Leo XIV has received several sports gifts since becoming pope.
- On August 11, the Chicago White Sox will honor Pope Leo XIV during their game against Cincinnati, distributing pope-themed hats to fans.
- Pope Leo XIV, formerly known as Robert Prevost, attended the 2005 World Series opener in Chicago 21 years ago, a moment now commemorated with a graphic installation at Rate Field.
- Pierzynski recently presented the pontiff with the baseball from the final out of Game 1, sharing photos of the Vatican exchange on social media on Thursday.
- Since his election last May, the first U.S. pope has received multiple sports gifts, including a Chicago Bears jersey from Vice President Vance and a Chicago Bulls jersey from Chuck Swirsky.
- His collection reflects deep ties to Chicago, where he grew up; he also possesses a bat once belonging to Hall of Famer Nellie Fox and a signed jersey from Paul Konerko.
26 Articles
26 Articles
Chicago Sun Times
Usa newsFormer White Sox catcher A.J. Pierzynski presents Pope Leo with 2005 World Series ball
When in Rome ...That's where former White Sox catcher A.J. Pierzynski is, and while he's there, he presented Chicago native and avowed Sox fan Pope Leo XIV with the last-out ball from Game 1 of the 2005 World Series, in which the Sox swept the Astros.Pierzynski, now a co-host of the daily baseball show "Foul Territory" and a Fox Sports analyst, caught the last out of the game on a strikeout by Bobby Jenks. An incredible honor to meet @Pontifex …
Associated Press News
Pope Leo XIV receives World Series baseball from former White Sox catcher A.J. Pierzynski
Pope Leo XIV has received a special gift from former Chicago White Sox catcher A.J. Pierzynski. The pontiff has been given the baseball from the final out of Game 1 of the 2005 World Series.
Pope Leo Speaks to the Heart, and the World Is Listening
Simone Risoluti Msgr. Stuart Swetland presents a signed vintage Chicago White Sox baseball to Pope Leo during a June 3, 2026, private audience with Leo at the Vatican as part of a small delegation from the Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities. COMMENTARY: As the saying goes, sometimes the medium is the message. Leo is radiating in word and deed the message of Christian humanism that he preaches.
Pope Leo XIV Receives Game 1 Baseball from 2005 World Series
The remarkable journey of Robert Francis Prevost, a Chicago White Sox fan who attended Game 1 of the 2005 World Series, culminated in an unexpected twist as he is now Pope Leo XIV. During that game, the White Sox triumphed over the Houston Astros, with Prevost enthusiastically supporting his team in the stands. Fast forward twenty years, and former White Sox catcher A.J. Pierzynski presented the Pope with the baseball used for the final out of t…
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