Unveiling the Roots of Pope Leo XIV: The First American Pope
Leo XIV's Brother Verifies Documents Evidencing Family's Creole and African Ancestry
The slopes of stardom for Pope Leo XIV, the newly crowned U.S.-born leader of the Catholic Church, have been marked by a groundbreaking revelation of his ancestry. John Prevost, his brother, confirmed to the New York Times reports by genealogist Jari C. Honora, indicating the Prevost family traces back to the Creole people of color in New Orleans, are indeed accurate.
Behind the Curtain: kinship Links
John Prevost's disclosure sheds light on Pope Leo XIV's maternal side of the family, tracing its roots back as far as the 1840s among "free people of color" in New Orleans. The family themselves, however, do not identify as Black.
Jari C. Honora, a researcher at the Historic New Orleans Collection, unearthed this enlightening history, stating Pope Leo XIV's maternal grandparents undoubtedly belonged to people of color. Rep. Troy Carter, D-La., even expressed pride as a "Black man" and as a "proud son of New Orleans" in a recent statement.
A Mosaic of Heritage
Pope Leo XIV's maternal grandparents, along with his mother’s older siblings, were identified in records as Black or mulatto. However, the family began identifying as white when they moved to Chicago, where the pope's mother - Mildred Martinez - was born in 1912. The family resided in New Orleans' Seventh Ward, an historically Black neighborhood, before their relocation.
Born in Chicago on September 14, 1955, Pope Leo XIV was the child of Martinez and Louis Prevost, a World War II veteran of French and Italian descent.
A Legacy in the Shadows
Martinez's roots were previously believed to be Spanish, and Pope Leo XIV has not made major public statements regarding his Creole heritage. The Diocese of Chiclayo, where Pope Leo XIV served as bishop between 2015 and 2023, did not respond to Forbes' request for comment.
Tracing the Family History
In a Facebook post, Honora shared the surprising news: "Our Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV, boasts proud Creole of color roots from New Orleans on his mother's side!" He revealed a marriage license that shows Joseph Martinez and Louise Baquié, the pope's grandparents, married in 1887 at Our Lady of Sacred Heart church in New Orleans. Historically, Joseph Martinez hailed from Haiti, and the family lived at 1933 North Prieur St. in the city's Seventh Ward, an area demolished during the construction of the Claiborne Avenue overpass.
Background
Pope Leo XIV turned 69 this year. Taking birth in Chicago to a librarian mother and a school superintendent father, he grew up with two brothers, Louis Martín and John Joseph. He pursued mathematics at Villanova University and acquired a graduate degree in divinity from the Catholic Theological Union of Chicago. After ordination in 1982, his religious career spanned Rome, Peru, and diverse championing efforts for migrants and the poor.
Dive Deeper
- Who Is Robert Francis Prevost? What We Know About Pope Leo XIV-The First American Pope. (Forbes)
- Pope Leo XIV has roots in New Orleans' 7th Ward. See his family lineage and history. (The Times-Picayune)
- Tweets Apparently Showing Pope Leo XIV Criticizing Trump Resurface-Here's What To Know (Forbes)
- John Prevost, the brother of Pope Leo XIV, confirmed the genealogist Jari C. Honora's findings that the Pope's family has roots in the Creole people of color in New Orleans, as reported by the New York Times.
- The family of Pope Leo XIV traced their ancestry back to the 1840s among "free people of color" in New Orleans, but they do not identify as Black, according to John Prevost's disclosure.
- Rep. Troy Carter, D-La., expressed pride in a recent statement as a "Black man" and as a "proud son of New Orleans" in response to the revelation of Pope Leo XIV's Creole heritage.
