It’s becoming one of the strangest—and most reliable—omens in Seattle sports lore: whenever the Catholic Church picks a new pope this century, the Seahawks end up on the NFL’s biggest stage.
Every single time a pope has been elected in the 21st century, the Seahawks have gone to the Super Bowl. Three papal conclaves. Three Super Bowl trips. If history is any guide, white smoke over the Vatican might as well be a 12 flag over Lumen Field.
So far, the pattern is undeniable. A new pope has been chosen three times since 2000, and each of those seasons ended with Seattle playing deep into February—and dominating the regular season along the way. The receipts, courtesy of Reddit:
- 2005: Pope Benedict XVI is elected. Seahawks go 13–3, reach Super Bowl XL, and fall to the Steelers.
- 2013: Pope Francis I is elected. Seahawks go 13–3, reach Super Bowl XLVIII, and dismantle the Broncos.
- 2025: Pope Leo XIV is elected. Seahawks go 14–3, reach Super Bowl LX, and will face the Patriots.
About that new pope: Pope Leo XIV, born Robert Francis Prevost on September 14, 1955, now leads the Catholic Church and Vatican City. His election made history: he’s the first pope born in the United States, the first to hold either U.S. or Peruvian citizenship, the first from the Order of Saint Augustine, and the second pope from the Americas, following Pope Francis. His rise in the 2025 conclave stunned Vatican watchers, as a U.S.-born pope had long been viewed as unlikely given America’s global power.
Fittingly, the Seahawks were a surprise story too. When the 2025 season kicked off in September, not many saw Seattle surviving a stacked NFC, let alone beating the Rams 31–27 in a heart-stopping NFC Championship Game at Lumen Field. Now the Seahawks are headed back to the Super Bowl for a February showdown with the New England Patriots, a rematch of Super Bowl XLIX.
One important disclaimer: a new pope guarantees a Super Bowl appearance but not necessarily a Lombardi. Seattle learned that lesson in 2005. Nevertheless, when the white smoke rises in Rome, the Seahawks rise with it—and somehow landing at the Super Bowl.