Bears star reacts to Pope Leo XIV’s election amid Chicago sports fandom debate

Where exactly Pope Leo XIV’s sports loyalties reside has quickly evolved into a topic of conversation.

A photo of the new pontiff wearing a pinstripe Chicago White Sox jersey at the 2005 World Series surfaced in the Chicago Sun-Times, which seemed to add more fuel to the debate.

Elected on Thursday, Cardinal Robert Prevost is the first pope from the U.S. 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.

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Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams throws a pass during the game against the Seattle Seahawks at Soldier Field in Chicago on Dec 26, 2024. (Daniel Bartel-Imagn Images)

Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams is one of the latest figures in the sports world to weigh in on the new pope. Williams needed just two words to express his apparent excitement: “Daaaaaa Pope,” he wrote Thursday on X.

Newly elected Pope Leo XIV, Cardinal Robert Prevost of the United States, appears on the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican on Thursday. (Reuters/Guglielmo Mangiapane)

Williams experienced several highs and lows during his rookie season as the Bears stumbled to a 5-12 record. While it remains unclear whether the new pope is an avid Bears supporter, Chicago certainly has plenty of reasons to be hopeful in 2025.

The Bears hired Ben Johnson as their new head coach in January. The team then made a flurry of additions to its roster once the NFL free agency period opened last month. Chicago bolstered its offensive line by acquiring center Drew Dalman and guards Joe Thuney and Jonah Jackson.

Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams looks to pass during the game against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field in Detroit on Nov. 28, 2024. (Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images)

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The election of the new pope also coincides with a trio of former Villanova players leading the New York Knicks on their NBA playoff run. It didn’t take long for a photoshopped picture of the four of them together to show up on social media.

The Knicks erased 20-point deficits in winning Games 1 and 2 against the defending champion Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference semifinals, with Game 3 set for Saturday in New York. The Knicks have not won an NBA title since 1973.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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