Vatican
The White Sox are in the playoffs: Do you have to support Pope Leo’s team?
Chicago White Sox fans and supporters of the rival Chicago Cubs do not face religious penalties for their baseball preferences, according to Michael Dunnigan, an associate professor of canon law at Saint Meinrad Seminary.
The discussion follows the Chicago White Sox advancing in the Major League Baseball playoffs after defeating the Houston Astros in the American League Wild Card Series and beating the Cleveland Guardians 3-0 on Saturday. Pope Leo XIV is a Chicago native who supports the White Sox.
Dunnigan told Crux that fans will not be excommunicated for choosing not to support the Pope's team. He noted that excommunication is reserved for serious ecclesiastical crimes, such as desecrating the Eucharist or violating the seal of confession.
AI-assisted briefing based on the sources below.Sources behind this story
- Reporting@CruxThe White Sox are in the playoffs: Do you have to support Pope Leo’s team?
Crux · Charles Collins
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