Bears' Williams gifts Pope Leo XIV autographed jersey
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- Caleb Williams sent an autographed No. 18 Bears jersey to Pope Leo XIV through his Caleb Cares foundation, presented by U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See Brian Branch on July 4.
- Williams inscribed the jersey with "AMDG" — Latin for "Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam" ("For the greater glory of God") — a nod to his alma mater, the Jesuit-founded Gonzaga College High School in Washington, D.C. (founded 1821).
- Pope Leo XIV, a Chicago native and the first American-born pope, has deep ties to Chicago sports: he attended Game 1 of the 2005 World Series and received the final-out ball from White Sox catcher A.J. Pierzynski the prior month.
- The papal collection already includes a signed Paul Konerko jersey, a bat used by White Sox great Nellie Fox, a custom Bears jersey from VP JD Vance (gifted after the 2025 papal conclave), and a Bulls No. 14 "Pope Leo" jersey from broadcaster Chuck Swirsky in November.
- Williams posted the photo of Leo holding the jersey on his Instagram story with the caption "shoutout DAAAA POPEEEE."
- The white jersey with orange numbers is not a standard Bears uniform and may preview Chicago's Nike "Rivalries" alternate uniform, set to be worn by NFC North and AFC South teams during the 2026 season.
Why it matters: The white-and-orange jersey Williams sent may be the first public look at the Bears' Nike 'Rivalries' alternate uniform set for 2026, while his 'AMDG' inscription ties Williams' Catholic roots to Pope Leo XIV's rapidly growing Chicago sports memorabilia collection — now spanning four franchises.
