The first American to become the leader of the global Catholic Church, Pope Leo XIV has diverse sporting interests ranging from tennis to football to baseball, according to a senior member of his religious order who has known him for four decades.
Known as Father Bob, Prevost was announced as Pope Leo XIV on Thursday after less than 25 hours of voting in the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican.
The dark horse beat odds of 66/1 to become God’s messenger on Earth before being unveiled to crowds of the faithful in Rome.
The 69-year-old new pope is fan of the White Sox baseball team from his hometown Chicago. Also, the Vatican’s news outlet has published a picture of the Pope riding a horse in Peru, where he spent many years a missionary.
“He’s a regular tennis player. He would come up and play on our grounds once a week at least,” Father Joseph Farrell, Vicar General of the Augustinians, told Reuters on Friday, speaking from the headquarters of the religious order just off St Peter’s Square.
He confirmed that Leo was a fan of the Eternal City’s biggest footbal club.
L’AS Roma partecipa alla gioia della città e del mondo intero per l’elezione di Papa Leone XIV, e rivolge i più calorosi auguri per il suo pontificato.#ASRoma pic.twitter.com/LJBMKTEHgJ
— AS Roma (@OfficialASRoma) May 8, 2025
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“He’s (AS) Roma all the way,” Farrell said.
The club did not directly confirm it, but welcomed the new pontiff after his election on Thursday.
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“AS Roma joins in rejoicing with Rome and the world following the election of Pope Leo XIV, and wishes him all the very best for his papacy,” it wrote on X.
© The Indian Express Pvt Ltd
