Robert Francis Prevost, the Chicago-born male that came to be Pope Leo XIV on Thursday, has Black household origins in New Orleans, Louisiana, documents reveal.
ABC Information has actually acquired numerous documents, consisting of united state Demographics documents from the very early 1900s, showing that the initial American pope’s family history shows the complicated racial background of this nation.
Both of Leo XIV’s mother’s grandparents, Joseph Martinez and Louise Baquié, are referred to as Black or mulatto in numerous demographics records.
Song right into “The American Pope: Leo XIV,” a scandal sheet of “20/20,” on Friday evening at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT on ABC, and streaming in the future Hulu and Disney+
On their 1887 marital relationship permit, Martinez provided his native home as Haiti, and birth documents reveal that he was birthed in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Chris Smothers, specialist genealogist for 15 years and chronicler examining at Simmons College, informed ABC Information that these coincided areas at the time. Baquié’s birth documents reveal she was birthed in New Orleans.
Marital relationship permit of Joseph Noral Martinez and Louise Baquié which illustrates Joseph as indigenous of Haiti.
Politeness Chris Smothers
Regardless of Martinez being birthed abroad, his daddy– the pope’s great-grandfather– was located to be from Louisiana, Smothers stated, stressing the pope’s origins in the American South.
” It’s clear that the Pope has centuries-long connections to totally free individuals of shade in Louisiana,” Smothers informed ABC Information.
1900 united state Demographics documents which illustrate the pope’s mother’s grandparents and his 2 aunties, Irma and Margaret. The household’s race is provided as “B,” which indicated Black.
Politeness Chris Smothers
On the 1900 demographics, while his household stayed in New Orleans, both Leo XIV’s mother’s grandparents and his aunties– Irma and Margaret– were recognized as Black. Nonetheless, in 1920, after the household moved to Chicago and had the pope’s mom Mildred, that years’s demographics showed their race as white.
Thus several family members getting away the South during that time, they can have moved their racial identification. Smothers called this an usual “survival approach” at the time.
1920 united state Demographics documents which illustrate the household living in Chicago, consisting of the pope’s mom, Mildred. Nonetheless, the race for Joseph, Louise, and all their youngsters is currently provided as “W,” which indicated white.
Politeness Chris Smothers
” Because stepping in duration, they not just moved from New Orleans to Chicago in the duration in between 1910 and 1912 yet they additionally altered their racial identifiers, which is really typical,” Jari Honora, a genealogist and household chronicler at the Historical New Orleans Collection, informed ABC Information. “Numerous family members did this as a concern of their resources as a financial choice, they masqueraded white.”
Joseph Noral Martinez is received this undated picture.
Politeness Chris Smothers
ABC Information additionally acquired pictures of those grandparents from the neighborhood genealogists dealing with discovering this family tree. The pope’s sibling, John Prevost, acknowledged the pictures and verified to ABC Information that they illustrate their grandparents.
While John Prevost found out about his grandparents’ link to Haiti and the household’s time in New Orleans, he informed ABC Information that their household never ever reviewed racial issues.
Creoles in New Orleans have actually belonged of Louisiana background for nearly as lengthy as it has actually been a state and have actually added immensely to the society of Louisiana. Words Creole frequently defines mixed-race individuals of shade.
” To be, you understand, Creole in Louisiana, to be a complimentary individual of shade in New Orleans because time truly shows that there went to some factor a shackled individual that needed to defend their liberty,” Smothers stated, though genealogists have yet to discover straight proof connecting the pope’s origins to any type of enslaved person.
In a declaration launched Thursday evening, New Orleans Mayor Latoya Cantrell stated “the City of New Orleans is a fusion of various faiths and ideas. We are enjoyed invite Pope Leo XIV, that symbolizes principles, unity, and inclusivity.”
Louise Baquie is received this undated picture.
Politeness Chris Smothers
Genealogists remain to explore the pope’s documents to discover even more details regarding his origins. In the meantime, it appears that Pope Leo is not just the initial American pope, yet he additionally stands for the fusion of histories in the united state
” They were a Creole of shade household– Creole showing their social history that they are rooted in this area in Louisiana, which, obviously, has its beginnings of the French and Spanish nest with a substantial West African populace. And of shade showing that they were a racial mix. They were a mix of every one of those ethnic histories,” Honora stated.
Recently chosen Pope Leo XIV, Robert Prevost attends to the group from the major central loggia terrace of the St Peter’s Basilica for the very first time, after the cardinals finished the conclave, in The Vatican, Might 8, 2025.
Tiziana Fabi/AFP by means of Getty Photos
Honora additionally indicated the symbolic nature of the pope’s origins.
” The tale, the trajectory does not shock me. However the truth that an offspring of that household … is the pope, you understand, truly includes the aspect of shock,” he stated.
