Pope Leo XIV, a Chicago native and the first American pope, wore a White Sox baseball cap during a public appearance at the Vatican, setting the tone for his papal style.

As Pope Leo XIV settles into his new role on the Throne of Peter, early indications are that he will respect and maintain the direction of his predecessor’s reforms for the Roman Curia, but will do so with a much softer tone.

Agostino Giovagnoli, a professor of Church history at Milan’s Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, described the more methodical approach that has emerged from the first month of the pontificate of Pope Leo XIV.

The choice of hat has raised eyebrows of other reasons, too. The headwear has a long association with hip-hop. Ice Cube helped popularise the White Sox cap in during the early ’90s – notably in his "Steady Mobbin’" music video – crediting US baseball star “Big Hurt” Frank Thomas for inspiring the trend.

T-shirts, memes, bobbleheads, and even a Chicago-style sandwich have emerged ... Topps NOW Marks Pope Leo XIV's Election This release marks a shift in what drives hype and value in the hobby.

When Pope Leo XIV stepped out on the central loggia of St. Peter’s Basilica to greet the crowd for the first time after his May 8 election, liturgical fashion aficionados around the globe took note: Gone was the simple white cassock and silver cross favored by Pope Francis.