When Pope Leo XIV stepped into St. Peter’s Square on the morning of June 11, 2025, few anticipated that a single accessory—not holy scripture or papal regalia—would end up dominating headlines around the world.
The day began as expected, steeped in the sacred rhythm of tradition. Pilgrims filled the square, the white popemobile rolled forward, and the Pope, dressed in his signature papal white, offered waves and blessings to the crowds. Children craned their necks for a glimpse, parents clutched rosaries, and smartphones dotted the air like lanterns. Then came a moment that drew smiles: the Pope leaned down to warmly greet a young boy wearing a bright red-and-yellow cap emblazoned with “España.” The boy’s awe, the Pope’s gentle clasp of his hand—together they created one of those quietly powerful Vatican moments.
The audience proceeded with familiar warmth. From the stage, Pope Leo XIV delivered his message in measured tones, his arms lifted slightly as he spoke of unity, faith, and compassion. Later, he welcomed newlywed couples, pausing to smile at a groom kneeling respectfully at his feet and to adjust the veil of a bride in a pearl-laced gown. His expressions were tender, his gestures pastoral—snapshots of reverence that made their way across social media within minutes.
And then, the shift.
Somewhere between blessings and goodbyes, the Pope reappeared wearing… a Chicago White Sox baseball cap.
Perched playfully atop his white cassock, the black cap made no attempt to blend in. The image was quickly shared by the White Sox themselves on social media, igniting a digital firestorm. Comments poured in, some delighted, others disturbed.
“This is weird, right? Like Bart flying a kite at night kind of weird,”
one user posted. Another chimed in with concern,
“He better not be wearing that during the blessing. The regalia matters.”
While some felt the moment was irreverent or even tacky, others defended the Pope’s lighthearted gesture.
“Honestly, it’s kind of refreshing to see the Pope doing something so… normal,”
a commenter shared.
“If anything, it reminds people that he’s human too. And hey, he’s got taste—though I’d rather see him in Cubs gear!”
For some, the image was humorous. For others, oddly jarring. But many saw it as yet another sign that this American-born pontiff is not here to follow an inflexible script.
It wasn’t the first time Pope Leo XIV had broken from Vatican tradition. At his inauguration Mass on May 18, he arrived in an open Popemobile, eschewing the bulletproof glass enclosure used by many of his predecessors. He smiled wide, waving to the 200,000 gathered pilgrims, dignitaries, and cardinals who filled the square with applause and expectation.
His inaugural homily underscored his vision of a papacy rooted in humility and service:
“Peter must shepherd the flock without becoming an autocrat. He is called to walk beside, not rule above.”
Even his choice of language that day made history. He opened his address in English—an unprecedented move—beginning,
“I will sing a new song to the Lord,”
before continuing in Italian. The shift was subtle, but unmistakable: a new voice, and a new tone for the papacy.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine, in attendance with his wife, met privately with the Pope afterward and later described the encounter as a beacon of hope.
“For millions, the Pontiff is a symbol of peace,”
Zelenskyy wrote.
“We are ready for dialogue in any format for the sake of tangible results.”
That sentiment—of a papacy willing to meet people where they are, whether on the global stage or in the form of a baseball cap—has come to define Pope Leo XIV’s early days. Some may raise eyebrows, others may raise prayers, but one thing is certain: under this papacy, the Vatican feels just a bit more human.
And maybe, just maybe, a little more relatable. Even if it means trading a skullcap for a ballcap.
Leave a Reply