Overview

• The Muñoz family, Bears season ticket holders from Chicago, traveled to Albano to attend Pope Leo XIV’s summer mass and surprised him with a custom navy-and-orange ‘Da Pope’ T-shirt inspired by SNL’s “Da Bears.”
• They waited nearly two hours under the sun at the Cathedral Basilica of St. Pancras before the pontiff noticed their matching shirts, allowed Ann Muñoz to kiss his ring and accepted the gift.
• The lighthearted exchange was captured on Pope Leo XIV’s official Instagram account and shared widely on Facebook and other platforms, quickly going viral among Chicago sports fans.
• Marcel and Ann Muñoz and their three children said they hope the pope’s blessing will bring renewed luck to the Bears as the franchise enters a new season under a first-year head coach.
• The T-shirt gift continues a series of Chicago-themed tributes to the American-born pontiff, following a White Sox mural, a signed jersey presentation to Paul Konerko and Vatican crowds chanting “White Sox.”