This American pope: Leo XIV’s bloodline reflects the US melting pot
How did your country report this? Share your view in the comments.
Introduction:
The news topic “This American pope: Leo XIV’s bloodline reflects the US melting pot” has drawn international attention, with various media outlets providing diverse insights, historical context, political stances, and on-the-ground developments. Below is a curated overview of how different countries and media organizations have covered this topic recently.
Quick Summary:
- Leo XIV, the first-ever US-born leader of the Roman Catholic church, has a familial bloodline that reflects his homeland’s fraught relationship with race. The maternal grandfather of 69-year-old Robert Prevost, the newly minted pope, was evidently born abroad in Santo Domingo, the capital of the Dominican Republic. His maternal grandmother, Louise Baquié, was reportedly born in New Orleans, Louisiana, to parents who were reportedly married at a local Catholic church. The future pope’s mother, the Chicago-born Mildred Agnes Martinez, was eight at the time, and the census that decade listed the Martinezes as white. Those same census records identified Leo’S maternal grandparents as Black. Two of his aunts were similarly identified, just about four years after the Plessy v Ferguson US supreme court case.
- Pope Leo XIV has Black family roots in New Orleans, Louisiana, records show. Both of Leo XIV’s maternal grandparents are described as Black or mulatto in several census documents. In 1920, after the family migrated to Chicago and had the pope’s mother Mildred, that decade’s census reflected their race as white. “It’s clear that the Pope has centuries-long ties to free people of color in Louisiana,” genealogist Chris Smothers says. “Many families did this as a question of their livelihoods as an economic decision, they passed for white,” historian Jari Honora tells ABC News. “In that intervening period, they not only migrated from New Orleans to Chicago but they also changed their racial identifiers,” Honora says of the family’s migration to the U.S., which was common at the time.
- Pope Leo XIV was born in New Orleans. His grandparents were of Haitian descent. He is the first U.S. Pope to be born in the city. The city is one of the few in the country that is both majority Black and Catholic. It is also among the most ethnically diverse cities in the U.N. and the world, according to a recent study. The study was published in the journal “Ethnology of the African diaspora.” It was based on interviews with more than 1,000 people in the United States, Europe, Africa and the Middle East. It was published by Oxford University Press, a division of the publisher of The New York Review of Books, which also published the book “The New World of the Pope’s Grandfathers,” which was written by Edward Said.
Country-by-Country Breakdown:
Original Coverage
Leo XIV, the first-ever US-born leader of the Roman Catholic church, has a familial bloodline that reflects his homeland’s fraught relationship with race. The maternal grandfather of 69-year-old Robert Prevost, the newly minted pope, was evidently born abroad in Santo Domingo, the capital of the Dominican Republic. His maternal grandmother, Louise Baquié, was reportedly born in New Orleans, Louisiana, to parents who were reportedly married at a local Catholic church. The future pope’s mother, the Chicago-born Mildred Agnes Martinez, was eight at the time, and the census that decade listed the Martinezes as white. Those same census records identified Leo’S maternal grandparents as Black. Two of his aunts were similarly identified, just about four years after the Plessy v Ferguson US supreme court case. Read full article
Pope Leo XIV’s family tree shows Black roots in New Orleans
Pope Leo XIV has Black family roots in New Orleans, Louisiana, records show. Both of Leo XIV’s maternal grandparents are described as Black or mulatto in several census documents. In 1920, after the family migrated to Chicago and had the pope’s mother Mildred, that decade’s census reflected their race as white. “It’s clear that the Pope has centuries-long ties to free people of color in Louisiana,” genealogist Chris Smothers says. “Many families did this as a question of their livelihoods as an economic decision, they passed for white,” historian Jari Honora tells ABC News. “In that intervening period, they not only migrated from New Orleans to Chicago but they also changed their racial identifiers,” Honora says of the family’s migration to the U.S., which was common at the time. Read full article
Pope Leo XIV’s unexpected New Orleans Creole background excites city’s large Catholic community
Pope Leo XIV was born in New Orleans. His grandparents were of Haitian descent. He is the first U.S. Pope to be born in the city. The city is one of the few in the country that is both majority Black and Catholic. It is also among the most ethnically diverse cities in the U.N. and the world, according to a recent study. The study was published in the journal “Ethnology of the African diaspora.” It was based on interviews with more than 1,000 people in the United States, Europe, Africa and the Middle East. It was published by Oxford University Press, a division of the publisher of The New York Review of Books, which also published the book “The New World of the Pope’s Grandfathers,” which was written by Edward Said. Read full article
Global Perspectives Summary:
Global media portray this story through varied cultural, economic, and political filters. While some focus on geopolitical ramifications, others highlight local impacts and human stories. Some nations frame the story around diplomatic tensions and international relations, while others examine domestic implications, public sentiment, or humanitarian concerns. This diversity of coverage reflects how national perspectives, media freedom, and journalistic priorities influence what the public learns about global events.
How did your country report this? Share your view in the comments.
Sources:
- Original Article
- Pope Leo XIV’s family tree shows Black roots in New Orleans
- Pope Leo XIV’s unexpected New Orleans Creole background excites city’s large Catholic community
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/may/11/pope-leo-xiv-family-history