Pope Leo has been growing in popularity and making the news as a new kind of pope. As the first American pope, hailing from Chicago, and one who has voiced support for women and the LGBTQ+ community, he's felt like a whole new "brand" since the beginning.
Now, he's the center of a hugely viral meme.
Traveling to Turkey on his first trip outside of Italy since he succeeded the late Pope Francis, Pope Leo XIV received many gifts from fellow passengers on the papal flight.
Since the pontiff is known for his love of the White Sox, CBS News foreign correspondent Chris Livesay had the opportunity to give him a baseball bat. It was not just any baseball bat, either; it was Nellie Fox's famous bat.
In the first photo that went viral, Pope Leo can be seen holding the baseball bat while talking to Livesay, who was likely sharing its origins.
From another angle, Pope Leo looks excited about the gift, presumably honored to hold a piece of baseball history, not to mention White Sox-specific baseball history.
We've all played Mad Libs before, but even within the context of that often unhinged game, we've probably never come up with such a laughable combination as "pope" holding a "baseball bat" on an "airplane."
Yet, here we are with Pope Leo smiling with a baseball bat in his hands on an airplane. What could be more meme-worthy than that? The photos went viral as people got to work.
Some made jokes about Pope Leo's Chicago origins.
Others quipped about a new tithing method.
Then there were the more unhinged takes.
This is certainly one of those situations where the meme almost creates itself.
There's no telling where it could go, but it will probably last for a while, just like the baseball legends that Pope Leo supports.
