A real White Sox fan can’t help but enjoy how the Cubs did in the playoffs, even if the pope says so. Pope Leo XIV, who is from Chicago and is the pontiff of the Catholic Church, took advantage of the moment on Wednesday when a Cubs fan yelled their team’s rallying cry from the crowd at the Vatican.

The Cubs’ 92-70 regular season ended suddenly when they lost 3-1 to Milwaukee in the Division Series on Saturday. The loss came in the second round of the playoffs, dashing the hopes of North Side fans for a long run in October. This gave the pope all the proof he needed.

When the enthusiastic fan called out “Go Cubs!” during his Vatican appearance, Pope Leo delivered his playful counterpunch with a grin and a wave. “Han perdido! They lost!”

According to video footage posted by Vatican Media, he answered in Spanish. The pope’s timing was perfect because it came just days after Milwaukee knocked Chicago out of the running for the championship.

The Rate Field has a mural of the Pope because of his loyalty to the Chicago White Sox. And this season, the crosstown rivalry means more because the Chicago White Sox are having a hard time.

The Chicago South Side team had a terrible record of 60-102 and came in fifth in the AL Central. Their rivals, on the other hand, made the playoffs. But Pope Leo had his reasons to be happy.

His willingness to poke fun at the Cubs shows that baseball rivalries go beyond even the highest religious office, keeping the sports divide in Chicago alive across continents. 

Cubs face uncertain future despite special chemistry

Jed Hoyer, the president of the Cubs, noticed something strange during exit interviews this year. Players kept talking about how close they were, which he thought was strange, even after years of doing these meetings.

That special connection the players felt, however, cannot be preserved or recreated on demand.

“If we brought back the exact same group of players next year, it wouldn’t be the same,” Hoyer explained during his year-end news conference on Wednesday. “It can’t be the same. I think that’s one of the things that the players were talking about in sadness when it ended on Saturday, is you don’t want it to end because you know that this feeling is going to be gone.”

Hoyer also emphasized the challenge ahead.

“And now, starting whenever we get to spring training, it’s about building that up again. That’s just something I’ve learned in my career over and over. I’m really glad that this year was a special chemistry, but you can’t bottle that up and bring it into next year.”

The front office has to make big roster decisions this offseason. The rotation needs more help, and the bullpen needs almost all of its parts replaced. Finding a replacement for Kyle Tucker’s offensive contributions is a top priority, whether that means re-signing him or looking for other options.

Hoyer wouldn’t say which players were involved in extension talks, but they are coming up soon. The coaching staff should stay the same unless assistants get job offers from outside the team.