Donald Trump extended a White House invitation to Pope Leo XIV, the Chicago-born pontiff. The invitation was conveyed through a letter from the US president and first lady Melania Trump, which was delivered to the pope by US vice-president JD Vance during a meeting at the Vatican on Monday morning. A video shared by the Vatican of the meeting’s opening showed Vance and his wife presenting the pope with a Chicago Bears American football jersey bearing Leo’s name.
“As you can probably imagine, the US people are extremely excited about you,” Vance said, noting that he converted to Catholicism in 2019.
Vice President JD Vance gifted Pope Leo XIV a Chicago Bears jersey
In response, Leo gifted Vance a bronze sculpture inscribed with the Italian words meaning “peace is a fragile flower.” The pope had a private conversation with Vance before they were joined by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The Vatican did not disclose the details of their discussion. Earlier this month, head coach Ben Johnson mentioned he had "heard rumblings" that Pope Leo XIV was a Bears supporter. Now, it’s almost certain.
Although it’s clear that the Pope is a Bears fan, there is more of a split within the baseball community, as Robert Francis Prevost is a devoted White Sox supporter and even attended a White Sox World Series game in 2005.
Vance was among the final foreign officials to meet with Pope Francis before the Argentine pope’s passing on April 21. The two had clashed over migration issues, with Francis publicly criticizing the Trump administration’s deportation plan and addressing Vance’s theological reasoning for it.
Get IPL 2025 match schedules, squads, points table, and live scores for CSK, MI, RCB, KKR, SRH, LSG, DC, GT, PBKS, and RR. Check the latest IPL Orange Cap and Purple Cap standings.The TOI Sports Desk excels in a myriad of roles that capture the ...
Read MoreThe TOI Sports Desk excels in a myriad of roles that capture the essence of live sporting events and deliver compelling content to readers worldwide.
From running live blogs for India and non-India cricket matches to global spectacles featuring Indian talents, like the Chess World Cup final featuring Praggnanandhaa and the Badminton World Championships semifinal featuring HS Prannoy, our live coverage extends to all mega sporting events. We extensively cover events like the Olympics, Asian Games, Cricket World Cups, FIFA World Cups, and more.
The desk is also adept at writing comprehensive match reports and insightful post-match commentary, complemented by stats-based articles that provide an in-depth analysis of player performances and team dynamics.
We track news wires for key stories, conduct exclusive player interviews in both text and video formats, and file content from print editions and reporters. We keep track of all viral stories, trending topics and produce our own copies on the subjects.
We deliver accurate, engaging, and up-to-the-minute sports content, round the clock.
Read Less
Start a Conversation
Post comment