Pope Leo XIV has been receiving a lot of gifts since he became the first American-born leader of the Catholic Church. He has previously been gifted a Chicago Bears Jersey by JD Vance, a present that has raised many questions, as the pontiff has instead been a baseball fan. However, some weeks later, he received a great gift from Villanova University. He was a student there until his graduation in 1977, and the representatives recently welcomed him as the new Pope with a baseball cap.
Now, Pope Leo XIV received another great gift from a family on holiday in Rome. Marcel and Ann Muñoz had a chance to meet the Catholic leader along with their three kids after the Mass at the Cathedral Basilica of St. Pancras in Albano. On July 20, when they met the Pope, the family gifted him a T-shirt with the text “Da Pope.” For the unversed, it is a great reference to “Da Bears” catchphrase from the classic “Superfans” SNL skit.
The Muñoz family is also a fan of the Chicago Bears. Notably, the pope grew up in Chicago. To offer the pontiff a piece of his hometown charm, the clan waited outside wearing the custom tees in the team’s signature navy blue and orange accents.
“We were late and just stood at the edge before a barricade was up. Then we planted ourselves in the hot sun until Mass was over,” Ann, who was very excited to meet the Pope, wrote on Facebook.
“We watched it on a screen outside and even received Communion. We were just hoping to catch a glimpse,” she continued.
The @ChicagoBears are going 17-0 this season thanks to Pope Leo. #DaBears pic.twitter.com/LF3RjXdLct
— 𝐜/𝐨 𝐋𝐢𝐬𝐚 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐞 ██████ (@MissLMI) July 20, 2025
“We were late and just stood at the edge before a barricade was up. Then we planted ourselves in the hot sun until mass was over. We watched it on a screen outside and even received communion. Maybe he’ll use it as a nightshirt. Does this mean it’s going to be a good season for the Bears?”
Social media users had a great reaction to the gift with one individual commenting, “This is da bomb!”. “This is how you reach young Catholics,” wrote another. A third added, “Wow, that’s amazing. It’s so nice to see stuff like this, I’m sure Leo loves it.”
Leo XIV has already gained a massive following on and off social media. Many people find his love for sports relatable and likable.
