Fittingly, Pope Leo's First Remarks To Americans Comes At White Sox' Home Field

There were a lot of firsts for Pope Leo XIV.

He is the first American-born pope, but it's also safe to say he's the first pope in the Catholic Church's long, long history who sent the media scurrying to figure out what baseball team he was a fan of. Specifically, was the Chicago-born pontiff a Cubs fan or a White Sox fan?

Early reports said he was a Cubs fan, but those were wrong, and it turned out that Pope Leo is a big White Sox fan.

So, it's only fitting that his first address directed to Americans as pope took place at Rate Field, home of the White Sox.

Fitting, seeing as the pope recently threw on a White Sox cap.

The pontiff was not there in person at the event the Chicago Archdiocese had in his honor, but he did address the crowd via a video that was played on the stadium's jumbotron.

"So many people who suffer from different experiences of depression or sadness — they can discover that the love of God is truly healing, that it brings hope," he said, per the Associated Press.

Chicago Bulls announcer Chuck Swirsky emceed the event, which also featured Leo Catholic High School Choir as well as some music from a Peruvian musician. That's because a large portion of Pope Leo's time serving the church was spent in Peru.

Pope Leo addresses a crowd on the jumbotron at Rate Field, home of the Chicago White Sox.  (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)

In his remarks, Pope Leo urged those in attendance to inspire others.

"To share that message of hope with one another — in outreach, in service, in looking for ways to make our world a better place — gives true life to all of us, and is a sign of hope for the whole world," he said.

He also offered some positive words for the crowd.

"When I see each and every one of you, when I see how people gather together to celebrate their faith, I discover how much hope there is in the world."