“How did you get this through security?” Pope Leo asks News themezone

The first foreign trip of the first American Pope began with a distinctly American moment, when Pope Leo XIV received a baseball bat that previously belonged to Chicago White Sox legend Nellie News.

News themezone correspondent Chris Livesay was among 81 journalists on the papal flight to Turkey who were greeted by the Pope during an unannounced walk around the cabin to greet the Vatican press.

Many on board continued the long tradition of presenting gifts to the pontiff as a courtesy, but Livesay had a particularly personal gift for the Chicago native: a Louisville Slugger baseball bat that once belonged to Hall of Fame second baseman Nellie News, a Chicago White Sox legend whose career coincided with Leo’s childhood.

When the correspondent pointed out the initials and number on the end of the bat, which is a family heirloom given to Livesay by his cousin Jim Hayes (not Cardinals announcer Jim Hayes), the Pope’s eyes lit up.

“How did you get this through security?” joked the Pope, a big White Sox fan, drawing laughter from the reporters around him before thanking Livesay for the gift.

Other American journalists commemorated the Thanksgiving trip by offering Leo pumpkin and pecan pies.

“To Americans: Happy Thanksgiving!” he said at the start of the flight, before emphasizing the importance of truthful journalism and noting that his visit to Turkey and Lebanon was based on “unity” and promoting peace across religious divides.

Once the Pope arrived in Ankara, the tone shifted to diplomacy and ceremony.

After an official welcome at Esenboga International Airport, Leo traveled 44 kilometers to the Ataturk Mausoleum, where he participated in a wreath-laying ceremony and signed the Book of Honor inside the Misak-ı Millî Tower, followed by a brief visit to the museum dedicated to the late founder of the Turkish Republic.

The stage of Pope Leo’s visit to Ankara was going to be brief. On Thursday afternoon, he will depart for Istanbul, where the spiritual heart of the papal visit will unfold in the coming days, including events surrounding the anniversary of the Council of Nicaea, a pivotal meeting of bishops, convened by then-Roman emperor Constantine I in 325 AD, which, among other things, set the date for Easter.

From there, Leo will continue to Lebanon, a country facing deep political and economic turmoil.

On Sunday, a top Hezbollah commander was killed in the capital Beirut in an Israeli-led attack just a week before the Pope’s visit to the city, underscoring security concerns on the ground.

Leo is expected to focus on solidarity with Christian communities in Lebanon and reinforce calls for peace and interfaith coexistence during his visit.