Pope Leo XIV Receives Personalized Baseball Bat from Former Player

Vatican city: Pope Leo XIV, a native of Chicago and a passionate supporter of the White Sox baseball team, was presented with a personalized baseball bat by Mike Sweeney, a former American baseball player and current social activist, on Wednesday.

According to Ansa News Agency, the presentation took place at the conclusion of the morning’s general audience in St. Peter’s Square. Sweeney gifted the American pontiff a baseball bat engraved with “Leo XIV” and a T-shirt bearing the inscription “Pope Leo XIV” along with the number 267. This number signifies Pope Leo XIV’s position as the 267th successor of Peter, as reported by the Vatican daily, L’Osservatore Romano.