White Sox receive letter from Pope Leo XIV invoking ‘Almighty’s abundant blessings’ before playoff campaign

The Chicago White Sox received some fan mail that landed differently on Tuesday.

Hours before the their playoff opener against the Houston Astros, the club received a letter from their most famous fan, Chicago native Pope Leo XIV. They soon shared the letter with their fans on social media.

Addressed to team owner Jerry Reinsdorf and dated Sept. 9, the letter doesn’t specifically address the playoffs, but rather thanks Reinsdorf for a letter he sent the previous month, extolls the value of sports as a bridge-builder and invokes “the Almighty’s abundant blessings” upon Reinsdorf and his loved ones.

The full text:

To Mr Jerry Reinsdorf
Chairman of the Chicago White Sox

I was pleased to receive the kind letter that you sent following the game that took place at Rate Field on August 11, 2026. I am most grateful for this thoughtful gesture.

As I have noted, “spoirt can truly become a school of life, where all can learn that abundance does not come from victory at any case, but from sharing, from respecting others and from the joy of walking together” (Letter Life in Abundance, 6 Februrary 2026). In this spirit, it is my hope that the White Sox will continue to foster bonds of friendship and solidarity among people, and thus bear hopeful witness to the possibility of living and working together in peace.

With these sentiments, I willingly invoke the Almighty’s abundant blessings upon you and your loved ones.

From the Vatican, 9 September 2026
Leo PP. XIV

The baseball fandom of Leo, previously known as Robert Prevost, was quickly established upon his election last year (though not quickly enough to prevent an embarrassing mistake from the Chicago Cubs).

The club has embraced its unprecedented relationship with the head of the Catholic Church, including a pope hat giveaway that put the garment in the hands of the man himself.

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Leo, meanwhile, has not let the new job stop him from enjoying the success of a team he once watched win the World Series in person. He did offer a “no comment” when asked if he had anything to do with the team’s unprecedented turnaround.

Chicago is the first team in MLB history to make the playoffs immediately after consecutive 100-loss seasons (of which they had three from 2023 to 2025) and is looking for its first playoff series win since that World Series the pope attended.